


Final Fantasy 15: Kingsglaive

by LazuriteLuxCaelum



Category: F - Fandom, Final Fantasy 15: Kingsglaive
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-09-22 21:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 35,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9627206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazuriteLuxCaelum/pseuds/LazuriteLuxCaelum
Summary: A King who died after he entrusted the safety of the Oracle and the Ring to a Glaive, a Glaive who obeyed his king's final order in helping the Oracle leave with the Ring and the Imperial Princess who had enough of her kingdom's tyranny and decided to leave and help the Glaive and the Oracle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: Narration of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret**

_For many centuries, the scared magic of the divine Crystal blessed our world, and it’s people. But over time it's magic brought war to our lands. Lucis, the peaceful Insomnia kingdom of immense magic, protected by the power of it’s crystal, and Niflheim, a military empire that is made strong by its magitek troopers. Long has the war raged between these two kingdoms. As time went on, Niflheim conquered neighbouring land being undefeated by its army. To protect itself from Niflheim’s tyranny, Lucis raised a magical wall, in which it's power comes from the crystal itself. Insomnia, it’s capital and last bastion of Lucian land remained out of Niflheim’s reach for many years. Amid the escalating war, Prince Noctis of Lucis has come to Tenebrae to seeked healing for his grievous injuries. Together he made the trip with his father King Regis of Lucis. Mother, Brother and I the royalty of Tenebrae welcomed them to our land. It was then the fires came everywhere and all at once._

XXXX

Within the large, vibrant-looking opened green clearing/forest of the beautiful city of Tenebrae, Luna is currently pushing Noctis (who’s sitting in his wheel chair) toward his father, her mother and older brother standing and talking together at the other edge of the clearing before they turned to glance and smiled at both Noctis and Luna. But before either Noctis or Luna could reached their family, both of them (and their family and the citizens of Tenebrae) suddenly heard a strange noise coming from above and when they raised their heads to look up, they saw with anger, fear and horror on their faces at the single huge black-coloured airship of Niflheim.

The door to the Niflheim airship opened outward and a menacing-looking Niflheim general wearing his silver-coloured armor/helmet from top to bottom and holding a long and huge-looking sword in his right hand deployed his magitek troopers before he and his troopers jumped out of the airship and flew down toward Tenebrae. Soon after the general and his magitek troopers landed on the clearing ground of Tenebrae, the magitek troopers began raising their arms to opened fired swiftly while others raised and swung their swords and long axes upon the frighten and fleeing citizens of Tenebrae, killing all who were trying to flee.

Luna's older brother, Prince Ravus got shot in the arm by one of the magitek trooper and fall on to his knees to the ground before the trooper approach and stopped in front of him and transformed it’s right arm into a flamethrower before flames burst out of it’s arm toward Ravus. Just before the flames were about to consume and burned Ravus alive, his and Luna’s mother, Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret screamed his name, stretch out her arms and jumped in front of the trooper’s flames to protect him.

But right after the flames cleared away from Queen Sylva, the general suddenly appear in front of her and he raised and plunge his sword through her body, the sword stopped just inches before Ravus face, spattering his face with her blood before the general pulled his sword out of her body, turned and walked away from her and Ravus as she fell face-down onto the ground and moved no more. Ravus screamed her name as he make his way toward her but it was too late since she’s already dead.

Meanwhile, King Regis ran toward Noctis (who raised and reached his left arm out to him) and Luna, but before he could reached Noctis and Luna, the general appeared right behind him, raised and swung his sword down on King Regis, injuring his back and causing him to stopped in his tracks before he turned around to glared at the general that had just kill Ravus and Luna's mother, Queen Sylva.

King Regis said the general’s name just as he turned around to face him while the ring on his left hand finger started to glow and he summoned some of his swords to block against the general second strike, pushed the general away from him then he summoned forth 4 more of his swords in thin air above him, launch the 4 swords swiftly toward the general which crashed hard against him before he flew backward away from him and crashed against a tall and thick oak tree.

After King Regis managed to fought the general off, he turned and run toward Noctis and Luna, grabbed and scooped Noctis out of the wheel chair and into his arms while grabbing hold of Luna’s hand and started running away. They ran past Ravus who’s kneeling by his mother's body before he turned and saw King Regis running off with Noctis and Luna and he cried out to him for help but King Regis did not stop and kept on running.

King Regis kept on running while holding Noctis close to him and not letting go of Luna’s hand while a large group of magitek troopers chased after and behind the 3 of them. Luna turned to look back at the magitek troopers chasing after her, King Regis and Noctis before she make a split-second decision and pull her hand away from King Regis’s grasp. Both King Regis (who briefly turned around to glance in worry and fear for her before he turned back and resumed running) and Noctis (who raised and hold his right arm out to her) called her name while Luna just stand and stay behind with a sad smile on her face as some of the magitek troopers surrounded her while the rest keep on chasing after King Regis and Noctis. King Regis run on until he reached his black car (which is called Regalia), quickly opened the door and put Noctis into the front passenger seat of the car before he got into the car, started the engine and drove out and away from the magitek troopers and Tenebrae.


	2. Chapter 2

**12 years later………**

Zaltana Aldercapt (a fair-skinned, long silver-haired, pale blue-eyed imperial princess of Niflheim who’s wearing a long-sleeve white, red and black-coloured shirt with matching knee-length skirt, white fingerless gloves on her hands and light grey-coloured boots on her legs) look down from the front window of one of the imperial airship of her armies (while her presence is completely undetected and unseen by the Niflheim troopers who stays in the airship due to the tall and slightly tan-skinned, short wavy black-haired, dark-eyed man wearing a long sleeve grey-coloured shirt with a black-coloured vest over it, long grey pants with black shoes on his feet standing near her) with a very sad and remorse look on her face at yet another fierce battle between the large army of magitek troopers, behemoth beasts, small and large spider-like daemons and the semi-large army of Insomnia’s mage troopers (which is called the Kingsglaive, an elite force of soldiers who served King Regis and wield their king’s magic in battle against the Niflheim’s army and protect the crown city of Insomnia and their homelands and family from them) at the borders of Lucis. She then let out a small sigh of relief when she saw some of the female mage troopers standing side by side on the top of the border wall with their arms held up in front of them managed to cast forth a large flaming tornado that swept up and destroy and blew off most of the magitek troopers and daemons standing on the ground. But her relief was short-lived when she saw about 6 or 7 of the airship came and brought an enormous daemon with them to resumed the battle.

“I can’t take this anymore, Alfodr. Of my kingdom’s insatiable and ruthless attempts in conquering other innocent kingdoms and killing off some of their monarchs and their peoples in cold-blood, except for Insomnia. And just like you told me, I can see that Insomnia and it’s Kingsglaive army is about to lose to Niflheim.” said Zaltana in a sad/remorse tone of voice to her companion named Alfodr without looking away from the battle below from the window.

“ _That’s right, princess. What will you do now?_ ” asked Alfodr. “ _Will you continue to stand by and watch or will you step out and lend a hand?_ ”

“No, I’m not gonna stand by and watch anymore, Alfodr. Take me back to my room in Gralea so that I could try to come up with a plan or two to help Insomnia. Even if doing so means that I’m betraying and turning my back on my kingdom, my people and my father.” replied Zaltana as she turned to look away from the window and glance at Alfodr with a determined look on her face.

“ _Very well then, princess. Let us return to Gralea now._ ” said Alfodr as he hold out his right hand to Zaltana, who raised and placed her hand on his before they abruptly vanished from the airship to return to Gralea.

XXXX

**After the battle………**

Nyx Ulric (a slightly fair-skinned, short black-haired (which is shaved on the sides, short and spiked in the front while the back is longer length down to his shoulders), dark brown-eyed guy wearing the bluish-grey coloured shirt with a long-sleeve black-coloured jacket over it, black gloves on his hands, long black pants and matching boots on his feets) sat on the back of one of the trucks (that came from the city to pick him and the other Kingsglaive up)watched with an slightly grim look on his face at the ruined rocky bridge and border of Lucis that the large daemon (that the Niflheim airships had brought with them) had destroyed with dozens of it’s missile attacks that it fired out from within it’s shoulders before the army and airships of Niflheim turned around and retreat away. Nyx then heard the sound of footsteps coming toward him from his left and as he turned to see who is it over his shoulder, he saw that it’s his captain, Titus Drautos (a tall and slightly fair-skinned, short light brown-haired and green-eyed man wearing the same long-sleeve bluish-grey coloured shirt with a long-sleeve red-coloured jacket over it with a long sword strapped on the right waist side of his jacket, black gloves on his hands, long black pants and matching boots on his feet and a long black cloth covering his entire left arm).

“You disobey my direct order to retreat.” said Titus coldly to Nyx as he stopped in his tracks next to him.

"Yeah, I know I did, captain.” replied Nyx in a slightly apologetic tone of voice to Titus. “But as long as I have strength within me, I’ll keep on fighting and protecting Lucis to repaid the debt.”

“Don’t fool yourself, Nyx Ulric.” said Titus coldly to Nyx for the second time as he turned to glance down at him. “Whatever magic or strength that you have is on loan from the King, you are nothing without him. Return to Insomnia now and await my details for your reassignment.” Titus added to Nyx before he turned around and walked away from him.

Nyx let out a deep sigh before he stood up, turned and walked toward 1 of the trucks, got into it and sat down with Crowe Altius (a slightly fair-skinned, short wavy brown-haired, brown-eyed woman wearing a black-coloured bodysuit with a black leather jacket over it, red fingerless leather gloves on her hands, long black pants and black boots on her feet and a short red cape hanging from her shoulders down her back) and the other Kingsglaive members before the truck drove down the road to head back to Insomnia in a single line with the other trucks.

XXXX

**Inside the main throne room in the Citadel building………**

“Yes, your majesty. Despite our victory being all but assured.” Titus reported to King Regis after he came back from the battle, entered the throne room and got down on one knee on the floor in front of him.

“A sudden and inexplicable retreat, you say?” said King Regis (a short grey-haired, green-eyed elderly man wearing a black-coloured business suit with thin white stripes on it, a golden brace around his right leg, a black cape hanging from his shoulder down his back and a single silver hornlike crown sticking out from the right side of his head behind his ear) to Titus with a wary/suspicious look on his face as he sat on his throne.

“We’re still at risk nonetheless, your majesty. We cannot know on when they’ll strike again.” said one of the council member of Lucis (who sits with 2 other council members on the left side of the room) to King Regis.

As King Regis turned to glance at the council member who spoke to him, a bald-headed, black suite man came running into the room and stopped in his tracks next to Titus (who still haven’t stood up from his kneeling position). “Your majesty! I’ve just received word from the west gate. A man claiming to be an envoy from the Empire requested an audience.” the bald-headed, black suit man reported to King Regis, who glance down at the man before he nodded and ordered the man to sent the envoy from the Empire in. The man nodded, turned around and walked out of the throne room.

“Your majesty. Now that I’ve told you my report on our battle against the Niflheim army at the border of Lucis, I’ll be taking my leave now.” said Titus.

“Very well then, captain. You may go now.” said King Regis to Titus before he watched as Titus stood up from the ground, turned around and walked out of the room. A few minutes after Titus left the throne room, 2 guards of Lucis came walking into the room while escorting and bringing the envoy into the room with them, which turns out to be the Chancellor of Niflheim, Ardyn Izunia (a tan-skinned, shoulder-length reddish-violet coloured hair, amber-eyed man wearing a white, red and black-coloured shirt with a long black jacket (that had white and gray trim on it and a grey and white mantle on his shoulders) over it, long grey pants with black boots on his feet, a red scarf wrapped around his neck, a black fedora hat on his head and a long, black winglike accessory strapped on his left arm).

“Hello and good day to all of you.” Ardyn greeted in a civil then sly manner to King Regis and his council members as he walked further into the room.

“Has Niflheim grown so bold that they sent the Chancellor himself as envoy to Insomnia? And with no guards.” said King Regis.

“It is an honour to be recognized by the great King Regis of Lucis, yet permit me to stand on ceremony and introduced myself to you all, nonetheless. Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim, at you humble service.” said Ardyn as he introduced himself while he take off his hat and bowed to King Regis. “And I’ve come here on this most auspicious day to offer talks of peace.” added Ardyn to King Regis and his council members.

“Peace?” said King Regis with a suspicious look on his face at Ardyn.

“As you’ve no doubt surmised about the recent maneuver of ours was no strategic retreat. Call it……… a gesture of imperial goodwill.” said Ardyn as he slowly make his way up the steps toward King Regis. “Like you, we also wished for nothing more than to bring a swift end to this tiresome and senseless war between our kingdoms.”

“Is that so?” asked King Regis while the council members glance silently at him.

“Indeed, your majesty. And we only required but a single compliance.” replied Ardyn with a nod of his head to King Regis. “Say, surrendering all outer territories of Lucis, except for Insomnia, to Niflheim rules.”

After Ardyn told King Regis and his council members about surrendering all outer territories of Lucis to Niflheim for peace, the council members were about to protest and argued to King Regis about it but he raised his right hand to silence them before they could say anything.

“Ah, Insomnia, the jewel of the crown of the kingdom of Lucis.” said Ardyn as he raised his arms and look at the large throne room around him in a dramatic manner before he stopped to glance at King Regis again. “Oh, forgive me, I seem to have forgotten about one more thing, your majesty. It concerns your son.” said Ardyn to King Regis (who immediately glower at him). “The fetching Prince Noctis of Lucis and the fair Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae, they’re to be wed.” said Ardyn to King Regis as he raised and joined his 2 fingers together (which caused a vexed look to appear and replaced the glower look on King Regis’s face). “You seem vexed, your majesty. I can assured you that the princess still holds you in highest regard. As she has done for the past 12 years in Tenebrae.” Ardyn told King Regis before he started to smiled slyly at King Regis.

XXXX

**Meanwhile, in Gralea………**

“What? My father sent the Chancellor to Insomnia to offer peace treaty? That sounds very unlike my father and my kingdom’s conquering nature. There’s something not right about it.” said Zaltana in a disbelief tone of voice to Alfodr (after he appear in her room and told her about it) before she quickly turned and walked toward her desk, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, write several words on the paper before she folded the paper, put and sealed the paper inside an empty envelope then she turned to approach and kneel down in front of Pryna (one of Lunafreya’s dogs). “Listen to me, Pryna, it’s important that you must sent this letter to Luna in Tenebrae. Alright?” Zaltana told Pryna, who barked and wagged it’s tail to her before Pryna took the letter from her carefully into it’s mouth, turned and run out of her room while both Zaltana and Alfodr watched Pryna leave in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Somewhere inside the large and crowded city of Insomnia/kingdom of Lucis (night-time)…**

Nyx (who's wearing a short sleeve black T-shirt, long black jeans, black shoes and a black leather jacket slung over his left shoulder) is currently walking by himself down the Golden Alley street past the dozens of tall and short apartments, shop buildings and restaurants and the many citizens of Lucis around him under the starlit night sky toward the small and secluded kebab food stall where some of his glaives friends usually frequent somewhere deep within Insomnia.

"Hey! Had a rough day at the gate, huh, Nyx, the glaive hero?" said Libertus Ostium (a tan-skinned, short brown-haired, brown-eyed guy wearing a light grey-coloured tank top with an elaborate-looking beaded necklace around his neck, black fingerless gloves on his hands, light brown-coloured shorts and loafers on his feet (while his left leg is completely covered up in a white cast due to a three-headed Cerberus daemon on the border wall of Lucis 2 days ago) in a teasing tone of voice to Nyx (who sighed and shake his head a little at Libertus).

"You jerk! It's your fault that he's stuck doing gate duty!" Crowe snapped at Libertus before she smacked his injured left leg with her right hand (which make him groan in pain) then she stood up to approach Nyx.

"Not a very nice welcome for a big hero." said Nyx dryly as he glance at Crowe.

"Not a very nice outfit for one either, Nyx." said Crowe before she let out a small chuckle.

"You got that right, Crowe." said Nyx as he chuckle and nodded his head in agreement at Crowe before he walked past her and Pelna Khara (a light brown-skinned, short wavy black-haired, dark brown-eyed guy wearing a long sleeve light green-coloured T-shirt with long brown pants and black shoes on his feet), sat himself down next to Libertus (who took one of the kebab stick from the large plate of kebab sticks on the table and began eating it) while Crowe sat back in her seat opposite Nyx.

"Ugh, what the hell did you put in this? Taste like a chocobo dump or something." said Libertus with a disgusted look on his face at the partially eaten meat and fish kebab stick he holds in his hand to the guy cooking in his kebab food stall.

"Hey, shut your trap, this ain't your stall and if you don't like it then don't bother ordering and eating it again! That's the way folks living around here like it!" the kebab stall guy snapped at Libertus, which make both of them began arquing at each other about the food until Crowe shut them both up.

"Hey, Libertus, have you thank Nyx yet for saving your life?" said Crowe as she glance at Libertus while she took one kebab stick from the plate and began eating it.

"Oh, come on, Crowe. Nyx and I are close friends." replied Libertus to Crowe while he didn't notice Nyx staring silently at the small bottle of medicine slightly protruding out of an open pocket of Libertus brown jacket lying on the chair between them (while Pelna stood up and walked toward the kebab stall to get some cups of beers). "He help me, I help him back. That's the way it's always been."

"Really? Because it looks like you got help from someone else, Libertus." said Nyx with a scowl look on his face as he grabbed Libertus's jacket (which show the small bottle of medicine protruding out of the pocket) up from the chair and raised it in front of him.

Libertus immediately snatched his jacket away from Nyx, glared and scolded him a little before Pelna came back with 2 cups of beers, sat down in his usual spot before he handed over 1 of the cups of beer to Nyx (who thank him for the cup of beer before both he and Pelna drank their beers in one go).

"So, Nyx's the gatekeeper. Huh?" said Pelna as he glance at Nyx. "So, how's the guarding going?" Pelna asked Nyx.

"Oh, it's amazing. You guys will totally love it. Those other gate guards are real sweethearts." replied Nyx in a sarcastic tone of voice to Pelna, which make him chuckle a little.

"Yeah right. We all know that they hate us outsiders more than anything." said Pelna as he rolled his eyes a little before he take one of the kebab stick and began eating it. "Not only that, they look so bored since they've nothing better to do."

"Well, bored isn't that bad. At least the peace we fought for is still there." said Nyx. "I've fight off a hundred more worse for a lot of those bored people."

"Sure, fight all you want. Just don't go dying off, Nyx. Because I still owe you a lot." said Pelna as he raised his cup of beer to Nyx.

"What will the glaives be without it's hero?" interjected Libertus suddenly to them.

"Can you guys not talk about this while we're eating and drinking, please?" said Crowe with an annoy look on her face at Libertus, Nyx and Pelna. "Besides, we just sent those Niffs bastards running away with their tails between their legs, right?" added Crowe.

"They weren't running from us, they're just toying with us." said Luche Lazarus (a slightly fair-skinned, short brown-haired, blue-eyed guy wearing a short sleeve dark grey-coloured T-shirt with matching long pants and black shoes on his feet) to them.

"Stop being such a buzz kill, Luche. We all know what happen." said Nyx to Luche after he (and the others) let out a small sigh.

"Yeah, I know. But do you guys know that they sent a Niflheim envoy to the Citadel after that?" Luche told Nyx and the other glaives.

"What for? To offer a surrender?" asked Libertus as both he and Crowe glance at Luche.

"More like demand ours, Libertus." replied Luche.

"What?" said Pelna with a shock look on his face.

"Demand our surrender! My ass!" said Libertus in an angry tone of voice to Luche.

"You don't believe me? Come on, think about it, you guys!" said Luche firmly to them. "The Empire's got Lucis on it's last legs and now the time is ripe for them to make demands!"

Nyx, Libertus, Crowe and Pelna (who pushed his own plate of kebab stick away from him) fell into silence after they heard what Luche just told them, all of them refusing to believe that the kingdom, the city and the king which they've fought and protected for the past few years would surrender to Niflheim.

XXXX

**Meanwhile, inside the meeting room within the Citadel…..**

"We're losing this war, your majesty. Lucis cannot rely on the Kingsglaive alone anymore. Accepting the truce that the Chancellor presented to us may be our best course of action." said an elderly Council man sitting in his chair on the right side of the long black marble table between 2 other Councils to King Regis.

"You speak of matters beyond the New Wall." said a dark-skinned Council man to the elderly Council man sitting opposite him before he glance at King Regis. "We have no need of a truce here so long as it still stands. And if our position worsens, we still have the Old Wall."

"Yes, we know. But this truce will end the fighting altogether." said an elderly Council woman to the dark-skinned Council man before she glance at King Regis. "If only we could compromise…"

"Compromise is unwise." said Clarus Amicitia (a fair-skinned, slightly bald-headed, clear yet sharp blue-eyed middle aged man (who's also Gladiolus and Iris Amicitia's father) wearing the typical black and gold-coloured outfit of the Council of Lucis), cutting off the elderly Council woman words. "We know nothing of Niflheim's true intention. Do not let yourselves be fooled by them, the Walls are far from being penetrate by them."

"The paths left to us are few." said King Regis after he's done listening to what his Council members told him. "The New Wall draws it's power from the throne and I've been able to sustain it for some more years yet. The kingdom requires it. But the Chancellor spoke one truth, if only one… we're getting old, and the Old Wall…" King Regis trailed off to raised and clasped his hands together firmly while he glance left and right at his Council members. "I cannot command the Old Wall with a weaken hand anymore, nor do I have the strength to muster an offensive to turn the tide of this war."

"…Then let the choice be made, your majesty." said Clarus to King Regis. "What are we to do and protect now?"

King Regis trailed off into silence for the second time as he think deeply in his mind about the treaty and what he should do next.

XXXX

**Meanwhile, in the throne room in Gralea…**

Zaltana stepped into her father's throne room, walked past Ardyn (who turned his head to glance and smiled widely at her, which she completely ignored) stopped in front of him and bowed to him. "You called for me, father?" Zaltana asked her father, Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt (a fair-skinned, short silver-haired, blue-eyed elderly man wearing a short sleeve white-coloured dress shirt with a decorative-looking gold-coloured armor on it, a long black-coloured robe with silver buttons and goldenrod trim at the bottom of it over his shirt, a long-sleeve white robe which had a large collar and some red-coloured trims on it over his black robe, black fingerless gloves and silver forearm armor on his arms and black boots on his feet) after she bowed to him.

"That's right, Zaltana. I called you here to tell you that you'll be coming with us to Insomnia for the signing of the peace treaty ceremony." replied Iedolas.

"Is that so, father?" said Zaltana.

"Yes, Zaltana. So prepare yourself because we'll be leaving for Insomnia 2 days later." said Iedolas with a small nod of his head to her.

"Very well then, father." said Zaltana in an agreeing tone of voice to her father before she gave him another bow, turned around and walked out of the throne room. But right after she stepped out of the throne room and the door closed behind her, she heard her father talking to the Chancellor and she quietly make her way near the closed door to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"… Once we've use this so-called treaty to infiltrate Insomnia, we'll find and steal their Crystal and kill King Regis so that we could take his Ring of the Lucii as well." said Iedolas to Ardyn.

"But of course, your majesty. Both the crystal and the ring shall be deliver to you on a silver platter soon enough." replied Ardyn.

Zaltana widen her eyes and let out a small gasp of shock/horror at hearing what her father and the Chancellor just spoke to each other inside the throne room about the cruel things which they planned to do to Insomnia before she turned around and walked quietly but swiftly away from the throne room. Unbeknownst to her, Ardyn sense and knew that she has been eavesdropping on their conversation on the other side of the closed door but he decided to not say anything about it.

XXXX

**The next day, near the East Gate of Insomnia…**

Crowe glance and turn on the watch on her right wrist before she take and lifted up the small square-shaped jewelry box containing an expensive and beautiful silver-coloured hairclip with a diamond on it from the interior of the yellow van before she turned and walked toward Nyx and Libertus (who decided to stay and watch her leave).

"A hairclip, Crowe? I wouldn't pegged you as someone who likes hairclips." said Nyx in a teasing tone of voice before both he and Libertus chuckle at Crowe.

"It's not for me, you moron. It's a gift for the princess Lunafreya." said Crowe as she scowled at Nyx and Libertus. "Now keep quiet, you two. Nobody other than the 3 of us is suppose to know about it." Crowe added to them before the driver sitting at the front of the van honked twice at her to tell her to hurry.

"Well, that's my cue to leave." said Crowe.

"Yeah, we know. Watch your back out there, Crowe." said Nyx to Crowe (who nodded her head at him).

"Listen, I know that you're sick of me saying it over and over to you, but you're like…" Libertus began saying to Crowe.

"… like a little sister to you, Libertus. Yeah, you're right, I'm sick of hearing you say it over and over." Crowe finished what he says while rolling her eyes at him before she turned around and got into the back of the van.

"Just be sure that you came back safely and in one piece, alright, Crowe?" insisted Libertus.

"Says the guy in two pieces." said Crowe as she turned around to glance at both Nyx and Libertus before she closed the back doors of the van.

After Crowe closed the back doors of the van, both Nyx and Libertus watched on as the van began driving forward past the gate and away from Insomnia.


	4. Chapter 4

  **In Tenebrae………**

One of the airship of Niflheim is currently flying past and over the large and vibrant-looking green forest and mountain area under the airship as it flew straight toward the large, pristine white Fenestala Manor of Tenebrae (which is home to the Fleuret royal family) before the airship slowly descended and landed on the ground in front of the castle. Meanwhile, inside the manor, a slightly tan-skinned, long grey-haired (which is tied up into a bun hairstyle), pale blue-eyed elderly woman who’s wearing a long sleeve white and dark grey-coloured dress and matching heels on her feet is walking by herself down a long hallway toward the room and staircase where princess Lunafreya is.

“Lady Lunafreya, your personal transport is ready and waiting for you.” the elderly woman told Lunafreya just as Lunafreya came walking down the spiral staircase toward her.

“Thank you, Maria.” said Lunafreya (a fair-skinned, long wavy blonde-haired, clear blue-eyed princess of Tenebrae who’s wearing a short-sleeve white T-shirt, long black pants with a long light grey coat/jacket over her shirt and pants, knee-length black boots on her legs and a long blue and white scarf wrapped around her neck while she carry a briefcase in her right hand) in a thankful tone of voice to Maria after she walked down from the staircase and stood in front of Maria now.

“Must you go now?” said Maria worriedly to Lunafreya.

“Yes.” said Lunafreya as she nodded her head to Maria before they both turned their heads to glance at the door when they heard someone knocking quite impatiently on it from outside.

“Then go quickly, Lady Lunafreya!” said Maria anxiously to Lunafreya, who nodded to her before she began walking away from her. But before Lunafreya could take another step forward, a few magitek troopers carrying long assault rifles on their hands stormed their way into the room and surrounded both Lunafreya and Maria.

“I do not recall granting you permission to leave your quarters, Lunafreya.” said Ravus (a tall and slightly tan-skinned, short light blonde-haired, heterochromatic blue and purple-coloured eyes prince of Tenebrae/commander of Niflheim who’s wearing a long sleeve white, grey, purple and black-coloured imperial frock outfit with a large collar that had a purple trim in it, a metallic belt over his waist and dark grey armored boots on his legs) in a disapproving tone of voice to his younger sister, Lunafreya as he came walking into the room and stopped in his tracks behind the magitek trooper and glance at her.

“Ravus.” said Lunafreya in a disbelief tone of voice to Ravus before she watched as Ravus make his way past the magitek trooper toward her, grabbed hold of her right arm and he dragged her with him past Maria (who watched with a sad/helpless look on her face), back up the staircase toward her room and he opened the door and shoved her into her room and closed the door behind him.

“You’re not to leave this room again until the journey to Lucis. It is for your own good, Lunafreya.” said Ravus in a no-nonsense tone of voice to Lunafreya.

“My own good, you say, Ravus?” said Lunafreya as she turned around and glance at Ravus. “What is really going on here, Ravus? What is the Empire planning now?” Lunafreya asked Ravus.

“They’ve offered peace to Lucis and part of the peace treaty is your marriage to Prince Noctis.” replied Ravus.

“You really expect me to believe that?” said Lunafreya.

“What you believe or don’t believe is of no concern to me, what concerns me is you sneaking off to tell our mother’s killer about it.” Ravus snapped angrily at Lunafreya before he turned away from her and walked toward the door.

“You’re wrong to hate King Regis, Ravus. It was Niflheim who killed our mother, not him. They murdered her and our people in cold blood in front of us.” said Lunafreya in a sad/pitying tone of voice to Ravus (who quickly left the room, not wanting to hear anymore of his sister’s words). “ _However, at least Zaltana, one of the people and princess of Niflheim isn’t completely cruel and evil like her father and the others. Forgive me, Zaltana, looks like I won’t be able to leave Tenebrae like you told me to in your letter._ ” thought Lunafreya sadly in her mind before she turned to walked toward her desk to begin writing a letter for Zaltana, folded and sealed it into an envelope before she called Pryna forward and told Pryna to sent the letter to Zaltana.

XXXX

**In Zaltana’s room in Gralea………**

“Pryna!” said Zaltana in a surprise then happy tone of voice when she noticed Pryna coming into her room before she approach and kneel down in front of Pryna (who barked then started to licked her face, which make Zaltana smile and chuckle) and ruffled Pryna’s head a little before she saw and take the letter tied securely around Pryna’s body with a long and thin green rope. Zaltana then stood up and bring Pryna over to the right side of her desk where the food and drink that Zaltana had prepared for Pryna is waiting, making Pryna let out another happy bark to Zaltana before she dig into the food and drink.

After Pryna’s done in eating and drinking the food and drink that Zaltana had prepared for her, Zaltana smiled and ruffled her head another time before she watched Pryna turned around and left her room. Once Pryna’s gone, Zaltana then sat down on the chair in front of her desk, opened the letter and began reading.

_To Zaltana, I’m sorry to tell you that I wasn’t able to leave Tenebrae even though you’ve already told me to hurry up and leave in your letter. My brother, Ravus, intercepted and prevented me from leaving and confined me in my room until the day when I’ll be leaving and escorted to Lucis with Niflheim came. Also, I hope that this latest letter that I wrote and asked Pryna to sent to you won’t be discover, intercepted and read by your father or your people before you could. Until we meet again. Yours, Lunafreya._

“ _Oh, Luna. I’m sorry for telling you to leave without knowing earlier that Niflheim would sent your brother to prevent you from leaving and damn you, Ravus, for confining Luna in her room until the day she’ll leave and escorted to Lucis with us!_ ” thought Zaltana sadly for Luna then annoy at Ravus before she closed the letter, opened the top drawer of her desk and hide the letter carefully into one of her notebook and closed her desk drawer.

“Why do you have such a sad look on your face, your highness?” said Ardyn’s condescending tone of voice suddenly from behind Zaltana, which make her jumped a little before she lifted her head to look and saw him standing and leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable smirk on his face.

“It’s nothing, Chancellor Izunia. What brings you here to my room?” asked Zaltana coolly to Ardyn.

“Oh, nothing at all. Just that I happened to past by and noticed that you look sad, for some reason. But since you told me that it’s nothing, I’ll be taking my leave now, your highness.” replied Ardyn as he turned to look away from her. But before he leave, he decided to tell her some more words. “I do hope that the approaching consequences of the choices and actions that you choose and do for yourself and for others won’t make you regret it, your highness. Farewell.” Ardyn told her before he walked away from her room.

“ _What does he mean by that?_ ” thought Zaltana to herself as she scowled quite darkly at the spot where Ardyn was standing before he leave.

XXXX

**Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Tenebrae………**

Crowe is currently sitting on a black motorcycle with her helmet in her hands on the road next to the yellow van which brought her here before she raised and waved her hand to say goodbye to the driver (who raised and waved his hand back to her) sitting inside the van before Crowe watched as the driver drove the van down the road and away from her.

“It’s done.” said the driver to someone on the other end of the line of his handphone after he drove the van further away from Crowe.

When Crowe was about to put the helmet on her head, she suddenly saw with a confused look on her face at a black van that appear and drove down the road toward her.

XXXX

**The next day, in Nyx’s apartment room somewhere in Insomnia………**

Nyx is currently sitting in his armchair in the living room of his apartment as he watched a cartoon program on the television built on the wall next to a window (with a desk with a cardboard that had some pictures of his friends and family (and small cut out newspapers showing the Niflheim’s Emperor and saying about his tyranny) pinned with needles on it on the desk) before the cartoon program suddenly got switched over to a news program.

“ _An air of jubilation has swept over the city of Insomnia in anticipation of the coming artistics._ ” said the reporter in the news program while Nyx held up his hand to conjure fire magic. “ _With only three days remaining until the peace is officially sign into effect………_ ” Nyx tuned out the rest of the reporter’s words as he clench his hand into a fist (which snuff out the fire on his hand) and turned his head to glance at the cardboard with pictures and newspapers of his family, friends and the Emperor before voices of King Regis, his captain and his family went through his mind. Nyx then glance back at the news program and he saw Princess Lunafreya (who’s wearing a silk silver and black-coloured dress, light grey heels on her feet and with her hair tied-up into an elegant ponytail) and Princess Zaltana (who’s wearing a short sleeve violet-coloured dress with long white gloves on her arms, black heels on her feet and with her hair down her back in an elegant braided hairstyle) came walking out of the airship behind the Emperor and the Chancellor and surrounded by 6 Niflheim council members walking with them.

XXXX

**Meanwhile, in the throne room in the Citadel………**

“The Princess? Are you certain?” Regis asked the messenger who came to tell him about Lunafreya as he lean forward a little in his seat.

“Yes, your majesty. She was seen among the last of the Imperial indistinct to enter the city.” replied the messenger to Regis (who started to scowled after hearing the news from the messenger).

XXXX

Nyx cleaned himself up, put on his glaive outfit, grabbed and slung his glaive jacket over his shoulder before he left his apartment and walked up the stairs toward the street of Insomnia. Nyx then put on his jacket as he walked forward down the street past the people of Lucis (who were standing and watching the news program of the Emperor of Niflheim and his people arriving in Insomnia for the peace signing on the large TV screen on the large glass building) before he heard someone honking at him, stopped and turned to see who is it and he saw that it’s his captain (who turned the car around and pull up to the curb near Nyx).

“Get in.” Captain Drautos ordered Nyx from inside the car.

“I’m reporting and heading to my post now though, sir.” Nyx told Drautos.

“New orders, Nyx. Come on and get in, we’ve got a princess to pick up.” said Drautos to Nyx, who nodded in silence before he got into the car and Drautos soon drove down the road away from the street.

“Nice ride, sir.” said Nyx in an approving tone of voice to Drautos.

“Nah, it belongs to the prince. Taking him outside the city.” said Drautos.

“Why? Doesn’t he have a wedding to plan, sir?” asked Nyx in confusion to Drautos.

“Cut the _sir_ crap, Nyx.” said Drautos, feeling a little annoyed. “The King has a plan of his own. Prince Noctis and Princess Lunafreya are to be far from Insomnia.”

“Then why is the princess here then?” asked Nyx.

“Complicated things. Sent Crowe to find the princess and escort her out of Tenebrae.” replied Drautos (which make Nyx instantly glance at him with a frown look on his face). “We’re still trying to figure out what went wrong.” Drautos added to Nyx as he drove the car slowly past the crowd of protesting Insomnia people while the guards pushed them away from the road.

“So, I know what you think about this war, but what do you think about this peace?” Drautos asked Nyx once they’re away from the protesting crowd. “Are you happy in giving up your home?”

“It’s the King’s decision, I own him for taking me in.” replied Nyx while Drautos drove the car into a tunnel. “I was lucky, there are people in Galalh who are less lucky than me and they might need me.”

“So you’re thinking of going back, what good will you be without the King’s magic?” said Drautos to Nyx (who turned to look out the opened window of the car). “Yeah, it’s always wanting to save someone, I get it, believe me. But it doesn’t win wars.” Drautos added to Nyx.

“It’s not just wanting to save someone. It’s not just me, Libertus is the one you need to worry about. He’ll go back if things get worse. The worse is yet to come.” Nyx told Drautos before they fell into silence as Drautos drove out of the tunnel and down a road bridge.

XXXX

**At the West Gate of Insomnia………**

Many people of Insomnia had gathered and stand on both sides of the street near the road and the closed West Gate as they glance at a car on the road with Princess Lunafreya sitting in the backseat inside the car while the ambassador of Niflheim is currently arguing with one of the gate guard of Insomnia.

“Do you have any idea on who you’re stopping from entering? Open this gate now and maybe you’ll still have your job tomorrow.” the ambassador snapped at the gate guard.

“The King’s orders.” the gate guard snapped back at the ambassador.

“Are you sure you want to risk a diplomatic issue now of all times?” the ambassador snapped back at the gate guard (who look away and rolled his eyes at the council member). “I’m the personal escort of Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Princess of the former Tenebrae and………” said the ambassador.

“And the beloved bride-to-be to our prince and our kingdom!” Drautos cut off and finish saying the rest of the ambassador’s words as both he and Nyx make their way toward the ambassador, the gate guard (who immediately placed his hand behind his back and straighten himself when he saw them coming) and the princess sitting in the car. “Welcome to sovereign jurisdiction, we’ll take things from here now.” Drautos told the ambassador (who began protesting about not being aware of someone else taking the princess to see the king) while Lunafreya turned to glance at them.

Nyx walked toward and opened the driver side of the door, told the driver to get out (which the driver did) before he greeted and bow to Lunafreya, got into the car and turned on the car engine, drove and bring Lunafreya past the now opened West Gate and toward the Citadel.

XXXX

“Her royal highness, Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae.” the messenger announced to King Regis (who’s standing on the right side of throne in deep thinking), who turned to glance down at Lunafreya with a soft look on his face.

“It has been a long time, your majesty.” said Lunafreya as she smiled softly at King Regis.

“Yes. Far too long.” said King Regis as he smiled softly back to Lunafreya (who make her way up the steps toward King Regis) before he turned and sat down on his throne.

“Prince Noctis isn’t here, is he?” asked Lunafreya as she look around the throne room for Noctis.

“No, my dear. He’s not.” replied King Regis to Lunafreya (who let out a small sad sigh) while Nyx stand, watch and listen in silence at the bottom of the steps. “I’m too old to keep on fighting this war. I’ve no choice but to receive the Empire and accept their peace treaty. And so I hope……… to hold the wedding elsewhere, somewhere far and safe. I order and sent one of the Glaives to see you there.” King Regis told Lunafreya (who let out another sigh). “It is still not too late for you, I can ready another escort. Please, go to my son.”

“No, your majesty.” said Lunafreya. “Wherever I go, the Empire will follow close behind. And it will place the prince in greater danger. It is my duty to protect the prince and see his destiny is fulfilled, these twelve years have not change my mind of that.”

“And what of your destiny?” asked King Regis.

“My duty is my destiny, your majesty. I’m prepared to accept whatever may come to pass.” replied Lunafreya in a firm and determined tone of voice to King Regis. “And one more thing, your majesty. There’s someone within the Empire that I trusted who will be of help to us.” Lunafreya told King Regis.

“Someone within the Empire? Who is it?” asked King Regis suspiciously.

Lunafreya hesitate for a few seconds then answer his question. “……… Zaltana Aldercapt, Princess of Niflheim.”

“The Princess of Niflheim? Her, of all people? Why would you trust and think that someone like her would be of help to us, Lunafreya?” said King Regis in a disapproving tone of voice to Lunafreya (who winced a little at his disapproving tone of voice while Nyx had an almost dark look on his face when he heard Lunafreya mention the enemy’s princess).

“Because during my past twelve years of captivity in Tenebrae under the control of the Empire, she’s the only one who regularly came to Tenebrae to see, befriend and is very kind to me and my brother. She’s different from her father and the others in Niflheim, who’s been nothing but cruel to us.” Lunafreya said/explain to King Regis.

“Are you really certain that she’s a good person, Lunafreya? What if she had a well-hidden ulterior motive or a really good actress that you couldn’t see or find out until it’s too late?” said King Regis.

“Yes, I’m very certain that she’s a good person, your majesty.” said Lunafreya with a small and firm nod of her head.

“……… I guess we’ll see on whether she’s truly not like the other Niflheim people or not, Lunafreya.” said King Regis to Lunafreya (who let out yet another sad sigh).


	5. Chapter 5

**In the Citadel………**

After King Regis and Princess Lunafreya were done in their talking, King Regis then ordered Nyx to escort Lunafreya out of the throne room and back to her chamber, which Nyx obeyed and did before he turned and walked down the hallway after he escort her back to her chamber. After a few seconds, Drautos came by and began to walked down the hallway beside Nyx when he saw him.

“I trust the reunion between the King and the Princess was a happy one?” Drautos asked Nyx (which he nodded to him).

“She’s been a prisoner of Niflheim all this time?” Nyx asked Drautos.

“She’s a symbol of the peace, that’s all I’ve been told.” replied Drautos.

“Doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like she’s here for something bigger than that.” Nyx told Drautos, which make him stop walking and he turned to glance at Nyx (who also stop walking).

“Your orders were to protect her. Not to look, not to listen and not to think, understood?” said Drautos sternly to Nyx.

“Yes sir………” said Nyx as he trailed off for a few seconds then ask Drautos another question. “And what about the Niflheim Princess?”

“Huh? Why do you ask about her, Nyx?” said Drautos.

“Because near the end of the conversation that I heard between the King and the Princess, she mention that the Niflheim Princess is someone………” Nyx began saying to Drautos but he got cut off by the loud ringing of a handphone in Drautos’s left pocket.

“Hold on a sec, Nyx.” said Drautos as he take his handphone out of his pocket and answer it. “Drautos.” said Drautos to the other person at the other end of the phone line. “Yes, report.” Drautos told the person before a slightly pale and worry look appear on his face and he turned to glance silently at Nyx (who had a confused look on his face).

XXXX

**A few minutes later………**

After Drautos told Nyx on what the person had told him from his phone, Nyx immediately run down the hallway in the direction of the infirmary and when he’s nearly there, he saw 2 doctors trying to prevent Libertus from entering the infirmary room behind them.

“You two get the hell out of my way! That’s my friend you two got in there, damn it!” Libertus snapped angrily at the 2 doctors.

“Sir, you can’t go in until the examination has ended.” one of the doctor told Libertus.

“What examination!? What is going on!?” said Libertus angrily to the 2 doctors before he raised one of his crutches to roughly pushed the 2 doctors out of his way just as Nyx reached Libertus and quickly grabbed hold of his arm.

“Hey, hey, take it easy, big guy.” said Nyx calmly to Libertus (who turned to glance at him).

“These bastards rushed Crowe into the infirmary the moment she got back from her mission and now they won’t let me in to see her!” Libertus told Nyx before he turned, opened the infirmary door and stormed his way into the infirmary while ignoring the protests of the 2 doctors and Nyx behind him.

But as soon as Libertus went into the infirmary room, he felt his face rapidly lose all colour and his heart stopped when he saw Crowe’s body lying inside a black body bag on the table. Libertus then quickly make his way toward her, look down at her pale and lifeless face while raising and placing his hand on her forehead before he lowered his head, fell to his knees on the ground and began crying in sorrow and agony for her (while Nyx watched from behind with a sad look on his face).

XXXX

**Another few minutes later………**

After both Nyx and Libertus left the infirmary room, they then make their way down the hallway toward the training room and sat down on the edge of the ledge in silence. After a few minutes, Drautos and one of the doctors (who’s carrying a box with him) came into training room and the doctor handed the box over to Drautos before he turned and left the room. Drautos then approach both Nyx (who raised his head to glance up at him) and Libertus.

“This are some of Crowe’s personal affects. Do with them as you see fit.” Drautos told Nyx as he handed the box over to Nyx (who took it from him and put the box down on his lap).

“……… So what kind of mission did you really sent her on?” Libertus asked Drautos without looking at him. “No Glaive ends up dead on a standard escort.”

“I’ll see that the armistice does not interfere with the investigation. She was a good soldier. Her death will not go unanswered.” replied Drautos before he turned around and walked out of the training room away from them.

“What a life, huh?” Libertus began saying to Nyx (which make him glance at Libertus). “She was brought up an orphan after she run out of her village. Still remember the first time I say her, thin and scurry little thing. All covered in dirt from her head down to her toe, not a single friend in the world. But those eyes of hers, damn. There was something about those eyes. She deserved better and I would of done anything………” Libertus finished telling Nyx as he sniffed before he raised his hand to his right shoulder to gripped the Kingsglaive emblem on it, ripped it out and threw it away from him. After Libertus threw the emblem away, he then slowly stood up from the ledge (while letting out a groan of pain due to his injured leg), turned around and began to walked out of the room.

“Libertus, wait.” said Nyx as he placed the box down on the ledge, stood up from the ledge, turned and walked toward Libertus, placed his hand on his shoulder and stopped in front of him.

“Crowe died a Glaive, Libertus. You can still honour her memory by keep on fighting as one.” said Nyx.

An angry look appear on Libertus’s face when he heard what Nyx just told him before he grabbed and shoved Nyx’s hand away from his shoulder. “You’re dumber than me sometimes, you know that? Don’t you get it, Nyx? Lucis killed Crowe!” Libertus snapped at Nyx before he walked past him, stopped and turned around to glance at Nyx (who also turned to glance at Libertus as well). "Go back to the castle, tell the King that there’s no peace to be had for throwing the weak to the wolves. I'll fight my own fight from here on out. See you around, Hero!" Libertus added to Nyx before he turned, walked away from Nyx and out of the training room (while Nyx let out a sigh as he watched Libertus leave).

Unbeknownst to Nyx, 3 of the Kingsglaive members were watching the scene unfold between Nyx and Libertus before they turned and walked away from the training room in silence.

XXXX

**In Nyx’s room (night-time)………**

Rain had poured down upon the kingdom of Lucis right after Nyx went back into his apartment. He then turned on the lights, make his way toward his desk and sat on the chair in front of his desk before he put the box containing Crowe’s items down on the table, opened it and take out the items within (which is Crowe’s handphone, her wristwatch and the hairpin for Lunafreya) and put them on the table next to the box. Nyx then glance at the hairpin he holds in his hand and think back to the time where he and Libertus see Crowe alive for the last time at the West Gate with a sad look on his face.

XXXX

**Eve of the signing ceremony on the rooftop of one of the hotels in Lucis (night-time)………**

Dozens of fireworks burst quite brightly in the night sky above the rooftop of the hotel which is filled with many nobility (who’s wearing beautiful dresses and fetching tuxedoes) of Lucis and Niflheim as they celebrate the upcoming signing ceremony that’s going to be held tomorrow inside the Citadel. Soon the citizens of Lucis began to talk amongst themselves when they saw the Emperor of Niflheim arriving with Princess Zaltana and 2 of their council members behind them both as they make their way past the citizens of Lucis and Niflheim and up the stairs toward the second floor where King Regis and his council members were (and some of the Kingsglaives).

“A most grand reception, King Regis.” said Emperor Iedolas flamboyantly to King Regis. “You honour all of Niflheim.”

“The honour is ours, Emperor Aldercapt. Both you and your daughter have ventured far from your kingdom to grace us with your presences.” said King Regis in a well-hidden sarcastic tone of voice to Emperor Aldercapt (who raised and held his arms out).

“It was the very least we could do, King Regis.” Emperor Aldercapt told King Regis (who bow his head to him) before he lowered his arms and turned his head to glance at his daughter. “Why don’t you introduce yourself to King Regis, Zaltana?” Emperor Aldercapt told Zaltana (who nodded to him).

“It’s nice to meet you, your majesty. My name is Zaltana Aldercapt, Princess of Niflheim.” said Zaltana as she introduced herself while giving a soft smile to King Regis and holding out her hand to him.

“Likewise, your highness.” said King Regis as he took her hand and kissed it while bowing. King Regis then stood up, briefly and discreetly scrutinize Zaltana, the princess which Lunafreya told him is a good and trustworthy person yesterday for any well-hidden feelings of ill-intent or malice within her but he couldn’t see, feel or find any feelings of ill-intent or malice from her, only a well-hidden and strong feeling of sadness and remorse instead. “ _Could Lunafreya be telling the truth about her? Is she truly different from her father and the rest of her Niflheim citizens?_ ” thought King Regis to himself before he glance away from her and glance back at Emperor Aldercapt.

“Tomorrow will be a historic day for both of our nations and your kingdom and city of Insomnia is truly a marvel. My own kingdom and city pales in comparison to yours.” Emperor Aldercapt told King Regis (who smirk a little) while Zaltana lowered her head to look sadly at the floor. “What’s the matter, Zaltana? Why do you look so sad for? You should be happy for today and tomorrow.” said Emperor Aldercapt when he (and King Regis) noticed the sad look on Zaltana’s face.

“ _How can I be happy when I overheard what you and the Chancellor were planning to do to King Regis, his kingdom and his people back in Gralea soon? If only I could tell King Regis about the cruel plan of yours and the Chancellor right now._ ” thought Zaltana sadly in her mind before she wipe the sad look away from her face and raised her head to glance at her father. “It’s nothing, father.” said Zaltana coolly to her father.

“Why don’t you go to Lady Lunafreya, Zaltana?” Emperor Aldercapt suggested to her as he gestured with his head at where Lunafreya is. “King Regis and I have much to discuss about the peace treaty.”

“……… Very well then, father.” said Zaltana as she nodded to Emperor Aldercapt, gave another soft smile to King Regis before she turned and walked toward the center of the second floor where Lunafreya was standing and talking with Nyx near a large aquarium with dozens of large and small fishes swimming inside. The conversation that both Lunafreya and Nyx spoke between them ended after Zaltana approach them both.

“Hello, Luna. It’s nice to see you again.” Zaltana greeted softly to Lunafreya (who turned to glance and smiled at her).

“Nice to see you too, Zaltana.” Lunafreya greeted back to Zaltana (who smiled back at her before both she and Luna embraced each other).

“Luna, listen to me. This entire peace treaty is a big and cruel farce that my father and the Chancellor thought up and presented to King Regis. What they actually wanted and after is the Crystal and the Ring of the Lucii of King Regis.” Zaltana whisper to Lunafreya (who froze, gasped and widen her eyes in shock and horror at hearing what Zaltana just told her).

“What? Are you sure, Zaltana?” Lunafreya whisper back to Zaltana.

“Yes, I’m sure, Luna. I overheard them talking and planning about it back in Gralea.” Zaltana whisper back to Lunafreya.

“You’ve to tell King Regis about it, Zaltana.” Lunafreya told her worriedly.

“Believe me, Luna, I wanted to tell him. But I can’t because my father’s with him.” said Zaltana. “So I’ve no choice but to wait and tell him about it when my father’s not with him.”

“Alright then, Zaltana. I hope that you can tell him about it.” said Lunafreya to Zaltana before they broke their friendly embrace and wipe away the worry, shock and horror looks on their faces.

“And who might this man be, Luna?” asked Zaltana with a slightly curious look on her face as she glance at Nyx.

“This is Nyx Ulric, one of the Kingsglaive of Lucis. Nyx Ulric, meet my friend and fellow princess, Zaltana Aldercapt.” said Lunafreya as she introduced both of them to each other.

“Nice to meet you, your highness.” said Nyx as he bow to Zaltana.

“Nice to meet you too, Nyx Ulric.” said Zaltana as she gave a small smile to Nyx before she turned to glance at King Regis and let out a small sigh of relief when she saw that her father’s no longer with him. “Wish me luck, Luna.” Zaltana told Lunafreya (who nodded to her) before she began to make her way past the nobles of Lucis and Niflheim in the direction of King Regis to tell and expose the plan of her father and Ardyn to him but before she could reached him, Ardyn approach, intercepted and stopped in front of her (which make her halt in her tracks).

“And what do you think of doing now, your highness?” asked Ardyn.

“Nothing. If you’ll excuse me, Chancellor Izunia.” replied Zaltana coolly to Ardyn as she make her way past him but Ardyn grabbed hold of her arm, which caused her to stumble to a stop again before she turned to glare at him (while he glance and grin at her). “Unhand me now, Chancellor Izunia.” Zaltana snapped at Ardyn.

“I don’t think so, your highness. I think it’s best if you retire back to the hotel now.” said Ardyn.

“I don’t take orders from you………” Zaltana told Ardyn before she trailed off into silence when she felt her head started throbbing quite strongly with dizziness and she raised and placed her hand on her forehead to massage it.

“See? You don’t look so good and that’s why you need to retire back to the hotel, your highness.” said Ardyn smugly to Zaltana (who gave him another glare) before he look at the nobles of Lucis and Niflheim around them, saw Ravus standing among them and he called out to him. “Lord Ravus, would you be so kind and escort Princess Zaltana away from here and back to the hotel? The poor girl doesn’t look very well.” Ardyn told Ravus after he approach them both.

“Of course, Chancellor.” said Ravus as he nodded to Ardyn before he helped in bringing Zaltana (who try and failed to break herself free from Ravus firm grip) past the nobles, walked down the stairs away from the second floor and toward the elevator (while Ardyn watched them leave with the smug look still on his face).

XXXX

**An hour later………**

“Please, wherever Noctis is, keep him safe. That’s all I ask.” said Lunafreya to herself as she stand alone at the balcony at the back of the rooftop while staring out at the city of Insomnia.

“To what God do you pray? You, a slave of cruel fate and destiny.” said a deep man’s voice suddenly from behind Lunafreya and as she turned to see who is it, she saw that it’s the same armored man who murdered hers and Ravus mother 12 years ago. “Abandon your prayers. The Gods do not listen.” said General Glauca coldly to her.

“General Glauca, what are you doing here?” said Lunafreya as she step backward away from him.

“I’m here by order of the Chancellor due to him telling me that Princess Zaltana has told you that this peace treaty is a farce.” General Glauca told Lunafreya before his hand reached out and grabbed hold of her arm when he saw that she’s about to turned away from him. “Pity that you couldn’t see your beloved fiancé, Noctis. You have another purpose to do.” General Glauca added to Lunafreya.

“I’m not here for Niflheim.” said Lunafreya as she glared at General Glauca.

“No, you’re here for me.” said General Glauca.

“You? I don’t understand.” said Lunafreya in confusion to General Glauca.

“Come tomorrow, you will.” said General Glauca.


	6. Chapter 6

**The next day, inside the hotel of Lucis (Day of the signing ceremony)………**

Zaltana woke and sat up quite early from the bed she’s lying on in the hotel room, stared a little blearily and confusingly at the room around her before she recalled back what the Chancellor had done to her last night at the party to prevent her from speaking with King Regis with an angry look on her face before she quickly got off the bed, cleaned herself up, change out of her dress, gloves and heels and put on a short sleeve light grey blouse with a long sleeve white jacket over it, short white fingerless gloves on her hands, long blue jeans and light grey boots on her legs.

Right after Zaltana change her outfit, she then approach and open the drawer standing next to the bed to take out her personal handgun with the word “Sirius” carved on it, a smoke grenade and some deactivated average-sized cores of shock troopers, tucked her handgun, smoke grenade and the shock trooper cores carefully within her jacket and jeans pocket before she heard the sound of someone knocking from outside the door of her room and when she approach and opened the door to see who is it, she saw that it’s her father (with 2 magitek troopers holding assault rifles in their hands standing behind him).

“Father, good morning.” Zaltana greeted coolly to Iedolas (who nodded before he and the 2 magitek troopers walked past her into the room). “Is something the matter for you to come see me?” asked Zaltana.

“……… Yes, there is something that matters, Zaltana. It’s about your action last night at the party.” said Iedolas sternly to Zaltana (who widened her eyes in worry/fear for a second then calm herself).

“My action, father?” said Zaltana with a feigned confused look on her face.

“That’s right, you heard me. General Glauca has informed me of you wanting to tell our enemy of mine and the Chancellor’s plan. I want to know why and how could you think of doing such a thing!?” demanded Iedolas as he turned to glared at her.

“Why and how, you asked, father? I’ll tell you then.” said Zaltana as she dropped the feigned confused look on her face to glared back at Iedolas. “It’s because I’m sick, tired and filled with sadness, remorse and guilt over what you and the others have cruelly done to other innocent kingdoms, cities, villages and their people! Well, no more, father! I’m leaving and going to tell King Regis of yours and the Chancellor plan right now!”

“You’ll do no such thing, traitorous daughter!” snarled Iedolas as he drew back his hand to slapped Zaltana hard across her face (which make her winced in pain from his slap before she raised and lay her hand on her slapped cheek and deepen her glare at Iedolas) before he turned to glance at the 2 magitek troopers behind him. “Take this traitor away from my sight and locked her in one of the airship outside of Insomnia with Lady Lunafreya.” Iedolas told the 2 magitek troopers.

“What did you just say? You’re taking and detaining Luna too? Why?” said Zaltana worriedly to Iedolas.

“That’s right, we did. She’ll served as bait to draw the Kingsglaive away from Insomnia, decreasing their offense and defense and making it easier for us to take the Crystal and the Ring. So what of it?” said Iedolas coldly to Zaltana.

“By the Six, you’re truly a cruel-hearted, tyrannical and power-hungry madman. You’re no longer the father I used to know and love anymore.” said Zaltana.

“I grow tired of your words, traitorous daughter. Take her away now.” Iedolas told the 2 magitel troopers, who make their way toward Zaltana. But before they could grabbed her, Zaltana quickly take the smoke grenade out of her jacket, pull the pin then threw the grenade down onto the floor.

Soon a huge cloud of smoke burst out of the grenade which swiftly covered the entire room and it’s 4 occupants in it, making Emperor Iedolas start coughing and the 2 magitek troopers to lose sight of Zaltana (who quickly run past them out of the room and down the hallway straight into an elevator away from them with the intention of heading quickly to the Citadel to tell and warn King Regis of their plan and of Lunafreya’s detainment in her mind).

XXXX

**Meanwhile, in Nyx’s room………**

Nyx took a big sip of his cup of coffee as he turned to walked toward his desk, sat down on the chair and put his cup of coffee down on the desk before he grabbed and put on his boots. After he’s done in wearing his boots, Nyx then glance and picked up the wristwatch lying on the desk next to his cup of coffee, saw that the numbers on the watch kept changing before he put the watch down on the desk, stood up and take his Kingsglaive jacket hanging on his chair and leave his apartment.

XXXX

**Outside the Citadel………**

“ _Niflheim contingent has just left the hotel. Less than 3 hours until the signing ceremony._ ” announced one of the gate guard to the citizens of Lucis while Nyx is pacing back and forth and staring at the wristwatch on his wrist in front of the closed doors of the Citadel before he raised his hand to tapped the earpiece in his ear to talk to Pelna.

“ _Nyx, is the princess with you?_ ” Pelna asked Nyx from the earpiece in his ear before he could talk to him first.

“No, she’s not with me, Pelna. Why?” replied Nyx in a confused tone of voice to Pelna.

“ _Well, the Niffs have just left the hotel for the ceremony. She wasn’t with them and strangely enough, neither does the Niff princess._ ” said Pelna to Nyx.

Nyx ceased his pacing to ponder deeply about what Pelna just told him before a strong sense of realisation hit him and he took off running down the steps away from the Citadel, pushed his way past the the large crowd of the people of Lucis (and Zaltana, who’s wearing a black hooded cloak to cover her head and body as she make her way toward the Citadel which he failed to noticed) down the street, run down another set of staircase and back to his apartment to take and glance at the still changing number on the watch in his hand before he turned around and run out of his apartment and run down another, smaller street filled with food stalls (while telling Pelna about the numbers on the watch before sending the numbers and asking Pelna to tell him the exact location of the coordinates).

“ _Nyx, you’re starting a wild goose chase. Guess you’ve got some free time on your hands, huh?_ ” said Pelna slightly jokingly to Nyx.

“Yeah, I guess I do. That or worse.” said Nyx to Pelna as he glance up and briefly saw the numbers written on the wall before he make his way down the street and past the people to head back to the Citadel.

“ _Those coordinates that you sent over to me are about 20 miles south of Insomnia._ ” Pelna told Nyx.

“Outside the wall.” said Nyx.

“ _What the hell was Crowe doing all the way out there?_ ” Pelna asked Nyx (who didn’t answer his question as an idea came to him, which make him stop walking for a short while then resumed walking).

“I need another favor from you, Pelna. Put those coordinates up on the radar and let me know what you find.” Nyx told Pelna.

“ _On it. You think this is a big deal, huh?_ ” asked Pelna.

“Yeah, too big to ignore, Pelna.” replied Nyx as he walked across the road toward the front gate, pushed his way past the gate guards who try to stop him from walking through the front gate to no avail and past another large crowd of people toward the Citadel.

“Listen up.” said the captain of the gate guard of Lucis to his trooper of gate guards as they stand at attention in the middle of the road. “This is not the gate watch. This is the halls of our city, the halls of our king. The ceremony must not be disturb, neutralize any threats quickly and quietly. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir!” answer the trooper of gate guards in unison to their captain before they moved and stand against both sides of the road to let the cars bringing the Niflheim Emperor, Chancellor and the council members past the front gate and down the road before arriving and stopping in front of the Citadel.

After the cars stopped in front of the Citadel, the Emperor, Chancellor and the council members steps out of the cars, raised and waved their hands at the people of Lucis who gathered, watched and cheered for the ceremony before they make their way up the stairs and into the Citadel (while King Regis look down in silence through the window from inside the throne room within the Citadel).

XXXX

**Inside the Citadel………**

“Glaive to command. Are you there, captain. Urgent.” said Nyx to Drautos as he hurried down the hallway and didn’t received any reply from him. “Damn it, Drautos.” Nyx muttered in an annoy tone of voice to himself before he tapped the earpiece on his ear to talk to Pelna.

“ _Jackpot, Nyx. There’s a whole fleet of airship hiding in wait in that spot._ ” Pelna told Nyx.

“It’s Niflheim.” said Nyx to Pelna as he turned a corner and walked down another hallway.

“ _Yup. And from the looks of it, I’d say that they’re preparing and heading for war._ ” said Pelna.

“Where’s the captain?” Nyx asked Pelna.

“ _Should be at the Citadel._ ” replied Pelna.

“There’s no answer on his frequency and I don’t see him anywhere in the Citadel.” Nyx told Pelna.

“ _I don’t know. Must have his hands full with escort detail._ ” said Pelna.

“Pelna, one last favor. I need you to inform and prep the Glaives for action.” said Nyx.

“ _What are you talking about? You want to deploy the Glaives without the captain’s order?_ ” said Pelna in a disbelief tone of voice to Nyx.

“Trust me, just get it done.” Nyx told Pelna (who started protesting to Nyx) before he tapped the earpiece to turn it off, turned another corner and he saw Zaltana walking swiftly down the hallway toward the doorway leading to the throne room in front of him (not knowing that it’s her due to the hooded cloak she wore over her head and body) and he quicken his steps toward Zaltana and grabbed hold of her arm.

“Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?” demanded Nyx suspiciously to Zaltana (who turned to glared at him and saw that he’s the Glaive who talk with Lunafreya at the party last night).

“Let go of me! I’ve an urgent and warning massage that I need to tell to King Regis!” said Zaltana in a worry and anxious tone of voice to Nyx (who widened his eyes in surprise when he recognized her voice) as she struggle to pried her arm free from his grip.

“Your highness? What are you doing here?” said Nyx in surprise to Zaltana before he narrowed his eyes in suspicion and anger at her. “And what is this urgent and warning message that you needed to tell his majesty for?” asked Nyx.

“I’ve no time to tell you about it, Nyx Ulric! I need to hurry and tell King Regis now! The more time you wasted arguing with me here, the more closer the danger comes for him, his kingdom and his people!” replied Zaltana even more worriedly and anxiously to Nyx.

“……… Fine, your highness. Come on!” said Nyx as he bring Zaltana alongside him toward the doorway, pushed their way past the 2 guards standing on both sides of the doorway (who ordered and try to stop them to no avail) and kept on walking toward the throne room.

XXXX

**In the throne room………**

“The ceremony is about to start in less than 2 hours, your majesty. We must make ready.” Clarus told King Regis (who turned to briefly glance over his right shoulder at Clarus, sighed and nodded to him before he turned to look back at the window and down at the people below).

“Very well.” said King Regis to Clarus.

“Your majesty! A man from the Kingsglaive and her highness of Niflheim is here, sire! They demands an audience!” announced the bald-headed, black suit man to King Regis after he came into the throne room.

“Demands?” said King Regis as he and Clarus turned around just as the doors of the throne room burst open from outside and they saw both Nyx and Zaltana rushed their way into the room (with some of the guards walking and trying to stop them both to no avail).

“Your majesty, please. Give the order to deploy the Glaives.” exclaimed Nyx urgently to King Regis before he let go of Zaltana’s arm, got down on one knee and bow to King Regis at the bottom of the steps (while Zaltana stopped and bow to King Regis next to him).

“You two!” said King Regis to both Nyx and Zaltana as he and Clarus glance down at them.

“A Niflheim fleet makes ready for war, twenty miles to the south.” said Nyx as he raised his head to glance up at King Regis.

“An Imperial fleet.” Clarus told King Regis.

“Not only that, your majesty. They’ve taken and detain Lady Lunafreya in one of the airships.” said Zaltana worriedly to King Regis (which caused a shock, worry then angry look to appear on his face for Lunafreya before he scrutinize Zaltana once again to see and sense on whether she’s lying or has any feelings of ill-intent and malice and didn’t sense any from her, only the honest truth and the same feeling of sadness and remorse from her).

“Are you telling the truth, princess of Niflheim? Or is it another lie?” said Clarus as he glared down at Zaltana (which make her fidget a little uncomfortably under his glare before she nodded firmly to him).

“Clarus, she’s telling the truth and also, post guards outside the treaty room.” King Regis ordered Clarus.

“It will be seen as a lack of faith for the peace.” said Clarus.

“Which we all harbor, see it done. We may well have to take Emperor Aldercapt into custody.” added King Regis to Clarus while Zaltana lowered her head to glance sadly down at the floor.

“Detain him, the Niflheim Emperor? That would go beyond the new declaration of war!” said Clarus in a shocked tone of voice to King Regis.

“We’re still at war, Clarus.” King Regis told and reminded Clarus.

“No, there’s no need for any of you to detain him. I’ll do it instead.” said Zaltana as she glance up at King Regis and Clarus (which make them gasped and widened their eyes in shock at her, same goes for Nyx).

“What? Why would you want to help us, your highness?” asked Clarus suspiciously to Zaltana.

“Because what my father and my kingdom have done to all of you and everyone else out there is cruel and wrong and I can’t stand it anymore. I know that most of you hated me and don’t want to believe my words because of the cruel actions of my father and my kingdom but I swear it’s the genuine truth. I really am on the side of Lucis and wanted to help you all! Please, believe me!” replied Zaltana firmly to Clarus (who fell into silence after hearing her words).

“……… When Lunafreya told me about you yesterday and said that you can be trusted and is very unlike the Emperor and his people, I didn’t want to believe her. But now, after seeing your action and hearing your words to us, I believe her and you now and I appreciate your firm determination to help us.” said King Regis softly to Zaltana.

“Thank you for believing in her words about me, your majesty.” said Zaltana as she smiled in relief to King Regis (who smiled back at her before he glance at Nyx).

“And you, Nyx Ulric. How soon can the Kingsglaive deploy?” asked King Regis.

“On your word, at once. Your majesty.” replied Nyx.

“Go then. Save Lunafreya.” King Regis ordered Nyx (who nodded before he stood up from the floor, turned around and left the throne room while King Regis, Clarus and Zaltana watched him leave in silence).

“As for you, your highness. You’ll be coming with us to the meeting room for the “ceremony”.” said King Regis to Zaltana.

“Understood, your majesty.” said Zaltana as she nodded to King Regis.


	7. Chapter 7

**In the meeting room inside the Kingsglaive headquarter………**

Soon after Nyx came from the Citadel and head straight toward the headquarter building of the Kingsglaive and went into the meeting room where all of the members of Kingsglaive were, he then told them of King Regis’s order to rescue and bring back Lunafreya from her confinement inside one of the Niflheim airships lying in wait outside of Insomnia and they immediately prepared, suited themselves up in their Kingsglaive outfits and put their kukri daggers and healing items into their pockets before they glance and stand at attention in front of Nyx.

“What if this is a diversion?” Luche asked Nyx (who turned to glance at him).

“Not likely, Luche. Tenebrae princess’s onboard.” said Nyx in a reassuring tone of voice to Luche before he glance back at all of the Glaives. “We’ve got 2 jobs. Save the princess and stops those Niffs airships from flying on Insomnia.” Nyx inform them.

“Very well, then. We go in teams, standard infiltrate and extract.” said Luche to the other Glaives before he glance at Nyx. “Nyx, you command, we’ll follow.” Luche told Nyx (who nodded to him) before he glance back to the other Glaives. “The glaive stand together, with or without our captain. For Hearth!” yelled Luche as he raised his arm up into the air.

“And Home!” yelled the other Glaives back to Luche as they also raised their arms up into the air with Luche while Nyx watched them in silence.

XXXX

**Inside the throne room………**

King Regis slowly walked down the steps of the stairs with Clarus walking and following behind him to the bottom of the steps where Zaltana (who still wore her hooded cloak over her head and body) still stand and wait in silence before all 3 of them leave the throne room together.

XXXX

**Outside the Citadel………**

“ _We’re less than 20 minutes away from the signing of the historic treaty._ ” announced the reporter to the cameraman holding his camera on his shoulder in front of him as the people of Lucis cheered for the upcoming peace, not knowing that it’s a cruel farce.

XXXX

**Outside of Insomnia………**

All of the Glaives run swiftly through the forest toward the place where the fleet of Niflheim airships were and where Lunafreya is confined in.

“ _I’ve received word of the king’s order to deploy. I’ll see to the matter in the city. All of you have your mission to do and it won’t be an easy one._ ” said Drautos voice from the earpieces on the ears of all of the Glaives just as they run out of the forest before they came to a stop at the edge of a rocky cliff, look and kneel down and saw the airships lying in wait at the bottom of the cliff. “ _The objective is two-fold. Secure the hostage and stay the enemy from advance. Just be careful. One Glaive have already died for the Tenebrae princess. Niflheim won’t give her up easily._ ” Drautos added to them.

“Yes sir!” replied Nyx to Drautos before he put on his glaive helmet, raised his hand to signal the glaives kneeling with him before they stand up and began jumping down from the cliff, grabbed and threw their kukris blades down then they warped and landed on different parts of the airships of Niflheim. Soon after they do so, the airships started to turned themselves on, lifted off and began to flew forward and upward from the ground.

Nyx stood up and began running after the airship flying nearby him before he threw his kukri blade forward and warped toward it, grabbed his kukri blade in mid-air and just as he’s about to threw it, he suddenly heard the voice of his younger sister crying out to him for help, causing him to lose concentration for a few seconds before he shook his head to clear his mind, threw his kukri blade forward and warped closer to the airship until he managed to grab and hang onto one of the large outer pipe of the airship.

“Over here!” Pelna called to Nyx (who pull himself up onto the pipe and stand on it before he raised his head to glance up at Pelna) before he turned and head toward a closed door, opened it and went into the airship.

“Preparing to head below deck.” Nyx told Drautos.

“ _Do not engage the enemy until instructed. The ceremony’s underway, let’s wait and see how Niflheim plays this out._ ” said Drautos.

XXXX

**Inside the meeting room………**

Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, his council members and Ravus sat quietly in their chairs before one of the council member suddenly stood up from his chair and make his way toward Emperor Aldercapt. “My liege, the Kingsglaive have just infiltrated our airships. So everything is going according to plan.” the council member whisper to Emperor Aldercapt before he turned, make his way back to his chair and sat back down on it (while somewhere in the Citadel, one of the guards came out of the chamber which holds the Crystal that powered the New Wall protecting Insomnia, close and locked the door behind him while at the same time, King Regis, his council members and Zaltana walked down the hallway toward the meeting toom).

XXXX

“Ulric reporting. Six Niflheim airships confirmed and heading toward Insomnia.” said Nyx as he glance at the airships flying nearby the one he’s currently walking on.

XXXX

**Inside the airship………**

Pelna kept himself close to the wall as he walked down the hallway before he came to a stop to take a careful look at another hallway for any signs of magitek troopers and didn’t see any. “Nyx, this doesn’t feel like a war fleet.” Pelna told Nyx as he walked down the hallway.

XXXX

King Regis, his council members and Zaltana (who clench her hands into angry fists when she saw her father) walked into the meeting room and Emperor Aldercapt, his council members and Ravus stood up in unison from their chairs and they bow in silence to them.

XXXX

Pelna continue to walked down another hallway until he came to a stop and leaned against the wall, slowly look out and he saw 2 magitek trooper standing guard outside a door before he tapped the earpiece on his ear to tell Nyx. “I think I might have found her, Nyx. But there are 2 Niffs MT standing guard outside the door. What’s the plan now?” Pelna asked Nyx.

XXXX

“Hold position, Pelna.” said Nyx to Pelna as he kneel and watched from the pipes down at a magitek trooper walking down the hallway. “Arrived at destination. High possibility of target in the vicinity.” Nyx reported to Drautos before he quietly jumped down from the pipes and landed on the floor.

“ _Proceed to secure._ ” Drautos ordered Nyx.

“It’s going to mean a fight.” said Nyx.

“ _Keep it quiet and keep it confined._ ” said Drautos.

“Pelna, you’re clear to engage but keep it quiet. I’m on my way now.” Nyx told and order Pelna before he began running down the hallway.

XXXX

King Regis make his way toward the empty chair next to Emperor Aldercapt while his council members make their way toward the other empty chairs standing opposite the ones which the Niflheim council members had sat on while Zaltana stand and leaned against the wall behind Clarus.

“Forgive my delay. There’s a bit of unforeseen trouble.” said King Regis to Emperor Aldercapt.

“Nothing too vexing, I hope.” asked Emperor Aldercapt as he, King Regis and their council members sat down on their chairs.

“A simple theft, nothing more.” replied King Regis.

“A daring thief, to steal from the king. Perhaps magical wall and castle gates do not keep all things safe.” said Emperor Aldercapt in a feigned innocent tone of voice to King Regis as he briefly glance at him.

“ _Damn you, father! For taunting him like that knowing full well that it’s you yourself and the Chancellor who did it!”_ thought Zaltana as she glared at her father.

“Perhaps, but no matter. That which was taken will soon be returned.” said King Regis calmly to Emperor Aldercapt without looking at him.

“Impressive. You’re truly a paragon of kingly composure.” said Emperor Aldercapt as he briefly raised and wave his hand a little before he lowered it and lean a little closer to King Regis. “But I must ask, how can you be so sure?” asked Emperor Aldercapt.

“Because this stolen “thing” is no mere trinket. It possesses a will all on it’s own, enough to break free from any thief’s grasp.” replied King Regis as he glance at Emperor Aldercapt then glance away from him.

“Hm, that sounds a very fine prize indeed.” said Emperor Aldercapt with a small nod of his head to King Regis before he glance away and lean back in his seat.

XXXX

Pelna run out of his hiding spot, threw his blade forward at the first MT and the blade stabbed into the MT’s forehead, causing the MT to fell backward to the floor before he warped toward the second MT, grabbed it’s neck and twist it before both he and the second MT landed on the floor (while inside the locked room, Luna turned and glance at the door when she heard the sound of fighting outside). After Pelna took down the 2 MT, he then felt his nose started to bleed and he quickly wipe his nose.

“Not now, damn it.” muttered Pelna to himself as he check the bodies of the 2 MT and found the key card to the door. “For me? Aw, you shouldn’t have.” said Pelna jokingly to the 2 dead MT before he stood up from the floor.

Luna stood up, walked toward the door and look out the small circular window and see nobody outside. She then jump back a little in surprise when Pelna suddenly appear and glance through the window at her with a relief look on his face. “Target confirmed. She’s unharmed.” Pelna told the other Glaives and their captain before he slotted the key card into the key card lock on the door and unlocked it.

XXXX

Clarus stood up from his chair, approach and kneel down next to King Regis and whisper in his ear. “I’ve just received the report that the glaives have found and secured the princess, your majesty.” Clarus whisper to King Regis before he stood up and walked back to his chair just as both King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt stood up from their chairs (same goes for their council members while Zaltana walked away from the wall and stand next to Clarus) and walked toward the table with the peace treaty papers and 2 pens lying on it.

“Have you found your thief?” Emperor Aldercapt asked King Regis.

“We have. And what was stolen remains intact.” replied King Regis.

“Joyous news! I’m relieved to hear it.” said Emperor Aldercapt in a fake cheerful tone of voice to King Regis (who turned to glance at him).

“Tell me, how heavy a sentence does the crime of theft carry in your empire?” asked King Regis.

“Among the heaviest. Although there is one exception.” replied Emperor Aldercapt as he shrugged his shoulders a little.

XXXX

“Things are about to get ugly here.” Luche told Nyx through the earpiece on his ear as he look out from the wall he’s leaning against and saw several MT’s preparing and running down another hallway in front of him.

XXXX

Nyx is currently walking down another hallway when he received and heard what Luche just told him from the earpiece before realisation hit him and he pull off his helmet and began running. “Pelna, you and the princess get out of there now! It’s a trap!” Nyx yelled at Pelna as he run down the hallway in search of them both.

XXXX

“And what is that?” asked King Regis.

“It’s an old law that you still permit in the outlands, which you told me before when I was younger and ignorant of your crimes.” said Zaltana coldly to Emperor Aldercapt (who turned to glared at her when he heard her talking to him) as she pull her hood off her head while approaching Emperor Aldercapt before he could answer King Regis’s question. “You told me “A thief who escape his captor can no longer be held to account for his or her crimes”.” Zaltana added to Emperor Aldercapt while ignoring surprise/shocked looks on the council members of both King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt when they saw her.

“A warning to the victim. Never show weakness, lest you forgo the hand of justice.” said King Regis as he glance at Emperor Aldercapt.

“Oh no, good king. Far from it.” said Emperor Aldercapt without breaking his glaring look away from Zaltana. “It is a warning to the hand of justice itself to never lose it’s grip.” added Emperor Aldercapt in a warning tone of voice to King Regis.

Soon after Emperor Aldercapt’s done talking to King Regis, all of them suddenly heard and felt several loud explosions go off from outside the Citadel (which frighten the people of Lucis before they start running and yelling in fear), which shook the meeting room and caused King Regis to look up while Zaltana swiftly pull out, raised and pointed her handgun at Emperor Aldercapt before he could pull out his own handgun (while King Regis, the council members of both Lucis and Niflheim summoned their swords and pull out their guns and pointed their weapons at each other).

“Don’t even think about it, _father_.” said Zaltana coldly to Emperor Aldercapt (who deepen his glare at seeing her pointing her handgun at him).

“You dare pointed your gun at me? Your own father!?” Emperor Aldercapt snarled at Zaltana.

“No, you’re wrong. I pointed my gun at my enemy!” Zaltana snapped at Emperor Aldercapt.

“How could you, your highness!? Have you lose your mind!?” one of the Niflheim council members protested to Zaltana.

“ _No, I haven’t lose my mind, Lord Maxwell. I’m just doing what should be the right thing to do. Unlike all of you who kept on making innocent people suffered even more._ ” thought Zaltana in silent anger in her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Inside the airship………**

Nyx run down the hallway, turned a corner and he saw both Pelna and Lunafreya walking down the hallway away from him. “Pelna, your highness!” Nyx called out worriedly to them both (which make them turned around to glance at him) before he resumed running towards them.

“Look, Nyx, one Tenebrae princess safe and-” said Pelna as he started smiling and raised his arms up at Nyx, not noticing the large tentacle appearing and slithering out from behind him and Lunafreya until it grabbed hold of Pelna, lifted him up, squeeze and knocked him back and forth hard against the wall until he died. (while Lunafreya watched and back away with a fearful look on her face).

Nyx reached and grabbed hold of Lunafreya’s arm before he quickly bring her running down the hallway with him away from the tentacle just as the tentacle threw Pelna’s dead body toward them both. Both Nyx and Lunafreya turned the corner to avoid being knock by Pelna’s body and Nyx briefly watched Pelna’s body knock against the wall and fell to the floor before he and Lunafreya resumed running down the hallway.

XXXX

**Outside the crystal chamber room………**

The captain and his guards in charge of guarding the crystal pull out their kukri blades and handguns and got into their battel stances when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps coming up the stairs toward them. When the captain and his guards saw that the people who came up the stairs turns out to be the captain and guards of Niflheim, they then proceed to fight against them.

XXXX

**In another airship………**

Meanwhile, two of the glaives continue to look around the airship and as they stopped inside a room, one of the glaives tapped his earpiece to talk to Nyx while the other glaive standing behind him pull out his kukri blade, grabbed the glaive in front of him and stabbed him twice from behind before he let go of the injured glaive and watched as he fell on his hands and knees on the floor.

“Y-You?” said the injured glaive in a disbelief tone of voice to the other glaive, who pull back his helmet and smirked down at him before he turned to his left and walked down the hallway, leaving the injured glaive behind.

XXXX

“What’s going on?” Lunafreya asked Nyx as they kept on running down the hallway away from the tentacle slithering after them.

“Insomnia’s under attack.” replied Nyx grimly to Lunafreya before he asked her a question. “Who brought and confined you here?”

“General Glauca.” replied Lunafreya.

“You were the bait. Us coming here to rescue you was a part of their plan.” said Nyx to Lunafreya (who nodded to him).

XXXX

The captain and guards of Niflheim defeated and killed off the captain and guards of Lucis before they approach and opened the outer chamber door of the crystal room, went into the room and the Niflheim captain ordered his men to placed explosives on the terminal controls and on the walls while the captain himself approach a keyboard and type it for a while to opened the inner chamber door of the crystal room.

XXXX

Both Nyx and Lunafreya run until they reached an opened doorway at the end of the hallway, look out then look down and saw a ladder attached against the wall at the bottom of the doorway before they climbed down the ladder and stepped on the metallic walkway.

“Target secure. Permission to withdraw.” Nyx asked Drautos as he and Lunafreya run down the walkway.

“ _Granted. Get to_ -” replied Drautos to Nyx but his next words got cut off by the sudden sound of a loud explosion coming from outside the airship, which shook the airship and caused both Nyx and Lunafreya to nearly lose their footing and fell before they turned and walked toward a nearby window to look out and they saw with shock and horror looks on their faces that the explosion came from the Citadel before it shot upward and destroy the strong magic of the New Wall that protects Insomnia and it’s city from harm.

XXXX

**Inside the meeting room………**

“The crystal will not served you.” said King Regis in a warning tone of voice to Emperor Aldercapt.

“Nor you, once I take it from this accursed city.” Emperor Aldercapt sneered at King Regis.

“You seriously think I would let you leave this room and steal what’s theirs by right, father? Are you that conceited?” said Zaltana coldly to Emperor Aldercapt.

“Think whatever you want, traitorous daughter.” Emperor Aldercapt snapped angrily at Zaltana. “You’re a complete disgrace to the Aldercapt name! From now onwards, you’re no longer an Aldercapt and you’re dead to me!”

Each of Emperor Aldercapt’s angry words hurt Zaltana mentally but she hold herself together and kept her gun pointed at him. “Fine by me, I was starting to get tired of being an Aldercapt anyway. From now onward, I’ll be using my mother’s family name, Stanhope.” said Zaltana to Emperor Aldercapt while Ravus muttered in a small voice to himself about not being here for the crystal.

XXXX

“The Wall. It’s gone.” said Lunafreya worriedly to herself and to Nyx as they kept on looking out the window before they heard the sound of footsteps approaching them, turned to look away from the window and saw that it’s 2 glaives.

“Fall back! It’s a trap!” Nyx warned his 2 fellow glaives before he heard another set of footsteps coming from behind him and Lunafreya, turned around to look and saw that it’s yet another of his fellow glaive before the glaive pull out his kukri blade, raised it and charge toward him and Lunafreya. Nyx charge toward the glaive, grabbed his arm in a painful grip to get him to let go of his kukri blade before Nyx swiftly pull the glaive into a stranglehold, pull out his own kukri blade and slitted the glaive’s throat before he let go of the glaive and watched as he fell dead to the floor.

“What the hell is going on?” said Nyx with a confused look on his face as he glance down at the body of his fellow glaive that he just killed.

XXXX

The injured glaive slowly make his way out of the room onto a walkway and as he supported himself by hanging on the railing and look down, he saw his fellow glaives fighting and killing each other on the other walkways below him before he saw the glaive who stabbed him came walking out of another walkway with 2 MT following him as he pull back his helmet.

“Traitors.” the injured glaive growled angrily at his fellow glaives that turned traitors and joined with Niflheim.

XXXX

“What’s got into you?” asked the glaive as he raised his arms in confusion to Nyx after he saw Nyx attacking and killing another glaive before the other glaive walking behind him pull out his blade, stabbed him from behind then grabbed and threw him over the railing to the bottom.

After the traitorous glaive killed him, he raised his blade and charge toward Nyx.

XXXX

The injured glaive weakly raised his right arm to summoned forth a Fira magic in his palm before he let out a final groan of pain, threw the Fira magic down before his body fall over the railing and soon both the Fira magic and the dead body of the glaive fell into the engine inside the airship and causing it to explode with a loud fiery bang.

Soon the entire interior of the airship started to explode some more and go up in flames (which caused a worry look to appear on the traitorous glaive’s face before he quickly took off down the walkway past the MT away from the flames).

The explosion and the flames burst out of the side of the airship, causing it to lose it’s attitude in the air before it fall to it’s left and crash hard against the airship flying next to it (which is the airship where Nyx and Lunafreya were in), making it started to explode and fall from the sky as well.

The force of the crash and the explosion shook the airship greatly and caused the glaive who was charging with the intention to attack Nyx to lose his balance and fall off the railing with a loud yell before both Nyx and Lunafreya quickly run forward down the walkway to get away from the flames coming rapidly from behind them and they quickly climbed into a hole.

But when both Nyx and Lunafreya came climbing out from the other side of the hole, they saw that the walkway below them is partially destroyed before another hard shake of the airship caused Lunafreya to lose her grip and began falling. Nyx noticed her falling and he quickly slides down the walkway after her, grabbed hold of her arm with his right hand while his left hand grabbed and hold onto the railing of the walkway tightly.

After Nyx managed to grabbed hold of Lunafreya, he then pull her up until she grabbed hold onto the edge of the walkway with her hands before both she and Nyx climbed up onto the walkway just as another glaive came climbing out of the hole that both Nyx (who look up at the glaive) and Lunafreya just climbed out from before he launch himself at Nyx and they fell down from the walkway

As the glaive raised his blade and was about to killed Nyx with it, a large tentacle suddenly grabbed hold of the glaive and pull him away from Nyx (while another large tentacle grabbed hold of Lunafreya and pull her away from the walkway as well).

As for Nyx, he quickly take out his blade and threw it forward at a different and safer part of the airship before he warped and landed on it then raised his head to glance at the large Ultros daemon sitting in the middle of the airship in front of him as it held Lunafreya and the glaive firmly in it’s tentacles.

XXXX

The airship flying at the very front of the other airships opened and dropped the bottom metallic parts of itself down onto the city to reveal a large cannon weapon under it while several smaller airships flew past the large airships closer toward the Citadel before the doors of one of the smaller airships opened outward for some of the robotic MT to walked out, fell from the airship down toward the Citadel, crash through the windows into the meeting room and landed hard on the floor among King Regis, Zaltana, Emperor Aldercapt and their council members.

As both King Regis, his council members and Zaltana were distracted from the robotic MT crashing into the meeting room, Emperor Aldercapt took the chance to pull out his gun in preparation to pointed it at Zaltana to shoot her but before he could do so, Zaltana quickly do a backflip jump to kicked the gun away from his hand before she got herself on one knee on the floor, raised and pointed her gun at Emperor Aldercapt again and fired 2 bullets at him. The first bullet struck and pierce through Emperor Aldercapt’s shoulder while the other one scrape hard against his cheek, making him let out a slightly loud yell of anger and pain as he raised his hand to hold his shoulder wound and glared hatefully at Zaltana (who glance coldly back at him) before the robotic MT stood up in unison from the floor, raised their arms and opened fired at King Regis, his council members and Zaltana.

Some of the Lucis council members and guards fell dead from the shooting attack of the robotic MT while King Regis quickly raised his hand to casts a Protect magic in front of himself, the remaining surviving council members and Zaltana as they watched with angry and helpless looks on their faces as Emperor Aldercapt and his council members turned and walked out of the room while Ravus decided to stay behind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Inside the airship………**

Nyx continue to glance worriedly down at Lunafreya in the grasp of the large Ultros daemon (while the airship continue to explode into pieces and fell even more from the sky) before he look up, saw a large and destroy piece of the airship’s engine flew down toward him and he quickly jump down from the walkway he’s kneeling on to avoid getting hit by it before he grabbed hold of the walkway’s railing to hang on then glance down at Lunafreya again.

The next second, Nyx watched as 3 of his fellow glaives fell down toward Ultros and 2 of them got smacked away and out of the airship by it’s tentacles before Ultros opened it’s mouth to devour the third one. Nyx then let go of the railing, fell down toward Ultros and he avoided from being smacked away by Ultros swinging tentacles before he threw, warped and stabbed his blade deep into the tentacle holding Lunafreya, gather a Fira magic in his hand in preparation to threw it at Ultros to get it to release Lunafreya so he could saved and bring her to safety but Ultros kept on swinging it’s tentacles around and caused Nyx to threw the Fira magic at another part of the airship and caused it to explode quite loudly and destroy the airship some more (while Ultros let out a loud screeching sound of pain when some of the large debris of the airship flew and stabbed into Ultros tentacles).

As Nyx didn’t succeed in throwing and injuring Ultros with his Fira magic, he gather another one and threw it down toward the tentacle holding Lunafreya, which struck head-on and caused Ultros to let out another screech of pain as it’s tentacle started to burn before it let go of Lunafreya and she began falling.

When Nyx saw Lunafreya falling after Ultros released her, he pull his blade out of Ultros tentacle before he fall down after Lunafreya, reached and quickly grabbed hold of her hand with his right hand while his left hand reached out, grabbed hold of the railing of a partially destroyed walkway and he hang onto it before both he and Lunafreya raised their heads to glance up at Ultros (who started to crawl down the airship toward them both).

XXXX

**Inside the now ruined meeting room………**

King Regis casted a strong Thundaga magic on the robotic MT, electrocuting them completely before they shut down and collapsed onto the floor and King Regis then dismissed the Protect magic he casted to protect himself, his remaining council members and Zaltana (who stood up and approach King Regis and his remaining council members).

“Come, your majesty. We must escape while we can.” said Clarus to King Regis as he began making his way toward the door.

“No, Clarus.” said King Regis to Clarus (who stopped in his tracks and turned around to glance at King Regis) before he, Clarus, the other council members and Zaltana turned and raised their heads to glance up at the broken windows. “I fear that escape is no longer an option for us.” King Regis added to Clarus before General Glauca suddenly flew through the broken windows, flew over them before he landed on his feet between them and the door and turned around to glance at them.

“General Glauca.” said King Regis as he glared at General Glauca, the man who killed Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret 12 years ago in Tenebrae.

XXXX

“I’m gonna pull you toward the walkway now, your highness!” Nyx told Lunafreya (who nodded to him) before he pull her closer to the walkway and Lunafreya grabbed hold of the railing, pull herself up to kneel carefully on it before Nyx do the same as well.

After both Nyx and Lunafreya kneel and hang onto the railing of the walkway, Nyx quickly raised both of his arms above him to cast a Protect magic around himself and Lunafreya just as Ultros raised and swung it’s tentacles forward to struck the Protect magic around Nyx and Lunafreya relentlessly (which make the walkway that both Nyx and Lunafreya were hanging on started to fall slowly).

After a few seconds, Nyx dismiss the Protect magic, lowered his arms and kneel down for a short while on the walkway before he and Lunafreya turned to glance to their right and they saw another airship flying closer toward them. After the airship flew and stopped nearby them, the side door of the airship opened outward and Luche came walking out of the airship.

“Luche!” Nyx yelled out in a warning tone of voice to Luche (who turned and saw one of Ultros tentacles come swinging toward him before he got smacked off the airship by it) before he and Lunafreya watched as Ultros make it’s way out of the airship onto the top of the smaller airship and wrapped it’s tentacles around it while thick smokes started to emanate out of it’s body after it come in contact with the sun (while Lunafreya glance at the opened door of the airship and she make up her mind, turned and walked carefully yet quickly up the railing toward the airship).

“What are you doing?” said Nyx as he watched with a worry look on his face at Lunafreya as she walked up the railing toward the airship, jumped and grabbed onto the edge of the ramp before she pull herself onboard and went into the airship. “Dammit!” Nyx swore to himself as he climbed up the railing before he threw his blade into the airship, warped and landed inside the airship before he stood up and run after Lunafreya (while Ultros pull the airship forward through the large hole of the bigger airship to cover it up).

“They teach you piloting back at the royal academy?” Nyx asked Lunafreya after he came into the cockpit of the airship and saw her sitting in one of the pilot’s seat. “Give me that!” Nyx added to Lunafreya as he pull her out of the seat, sat onto it before he took the controls and flew the airship (and Ultros) down inside the larger airship.

XXXX

“It’s been a long time since I fought at your side, old friend.” said Clarus to King Regis as he stood near King Regis with his sword raised up in his hands while the remaining council members stood in front of them both in a protective and battle stance while Zaltana pull out one of the deactivated core of a shock trooper from her pocket and raised her gun at General Glauca (who stood in firm silence with his sword raised up in his hands).

“Yes, Clarus, but this time it is not your fight.” said King Regis worriedly to Clarus. “If you wish to leave, go now.”

“And abandon and leave my king behind? I think not.” said Clarus as he smirk and shake his head a little at King Regis. “Besides, our magic is bound to you. If you fall, so does Lucis.”

“Then let us move once more into the fray, old friend.” said King Regis to Clarus before they prepared themselves.

General Glauca then charge straight toward them, swung his sword to strike, killed and moved the council members out of his way before Zaltana activated and threw the core toward General Glauca, which explode in his face and make him stopped and stagger back a little before he raised and swung his sword at her, which make her ducked down to avoid it before he raised his leg to kicked her out of his way toward Ravus then charge toward both King Regis and Clarus to engage them in battle.

“ _Ow, that kick of his really hurt!_ ” thought Zaltana with a grimace look on her face before she felt Ravus grabbed her arm tightly, pull her up from the floor and he placed his arm around her neck in a stranglehold move. Zaltana immediately elbowed Ravus hard on his stomach then raised her right feet to stepped down on his feet, which make him grunt in pain and loosen his hold on her neck before she pull herself away from him, turned around and raised and pointed her gun at Ravus (who glared at her).

“First my sister, Lunafreya, now you too, Zaltana? What in the name of the Six is wrong with you two, choosing to be on the side of Lucis? Can’t you see that Lucis have just lose to Niflheim, the kingdom that you just betrayed?” demanded Ravus angrily to Zaltana.

“Ravus, you already know on why Luna and I choose to be on the side of Lucis. And you may be right about Lucis losing to Niflheim today, but that doesn’t mean that Lucis will lose to Niflheim the next time.” replied Zaltana firmly to Ravus.

“What makes you so sure of that, Zaltana?” said Ravus coldly to Zaltana.

“I just knew, Ravus. And that’s all I can tell you.” said Zaltana before both she and Ravus fell into silence and didn’t move an inch from their positions.

XXXX

Nyx flew the airship out and away from the destroyed large airship (with Ultros still clinging above and around it) and swiftly down toward the city while Lunafreya hang on tightly in her pilot seat next to him. As the airship kept on flying downward, Nyx saw a tall building with a sharp roof pointed upward standing in the middle of the city and he turned the control to make the airship flew closer toward the building, which make Ultros to let go of the airship before Ultros fell down and away from the airship and got itself impaled through by the sharp roof of the building (which make Ultros let out a loud and final screech of pain before the destroyed large airship crash down onto the building where Ultros dead body (which is white in colour now) is impaled on and destroy the building) before Nyx flew the airship upward to.

“You must take me to King Regis and Zaltana now.” said Lunafreya firmly to Nyx.

“Are you out of your mind, your highness? Insomnia is a war zone now! And why do you mention and cared about the Niff princess for?” said Nyx as he reminded her about it.

“I have a duty that I cannot neglect.” said Luanfreya even more firmly to Nyx. “And as to why I mention Zaltana is because she’s my friend.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard all that before.” said Nyx.

“Then you know we must hurry.” said Lunafreya in a slightly anxious tone of voice to Nyx.

“Hurry to do what? Get yourself killed?” said Nyx in a slightly exasperated tone of voice to Lunafreya.

“I do not fear death.” said Lunafreya.

“Enough with all this brave princess act, your highness!” Nyx snapped at Lunafreya before they briefly glance at each other then glance away. “Fine then, just pray that this airship can bring to the Citadel.” Nyx added in an annoy tone of voice to Lunafreya as he flew the airship in the direction of the Citadel building, where King Regis, Clarus, Zaltana, Ravus and General Glauca were.


	10. Chapter 10

**Inside the ruined meeting room………**

After General Glauca kicked Zaltana away from him, he raised his sword and charge toward both King Regis and Clarus at the same time Clarus charge toward him and they swung, parried and clash their swords fiercely at each other while King Regis casts and launch a fierce Thundaga magic toward General Glauca, which struck his shoulder armor and partially electrocute him and make him fall on one knee to the floor before Clarus raised his sword and charge toward General Glauca.

But before Clarus could do so, General Glauca suddenly grabbed and pushed Clarus away from him before he charge toward King Regis, raised and swung his sword down on him at the same time King Regis raised his hand to summoned forth several different looking swords to block against his attack (before he started straining and grunting to maintain in using his summoned swords to block against General Glauca’s attack).

As King Regis is blocking against General Glauca’s attack, Clarus quickly stood up from the floor, raised his sword and charge toward General Glauca again but unfortunately for Clarus, General Glauca expected it this time and he lowered his sword, swiftly turn around to grabbed hold of Clarus before he threw him forward at a wall. The next second, General Glauca grabbed hold of one of the swords that King Regis had just summoned forth to block against his attack and he immediately threw the sword toward Clarus, which struck and stabbed through his body from behind (after Clarus crash hard against the wall) and make him let out a loud and final yell of pain before he closed his eyes and died.

“Clarus!” yelled King Regis in a pained and anguish tone of voice as he glance up at the body of his old friend hanging on the wall by the sword that General Glauca just threw and killed him (which make Zaltana turned to look away from Ravus, look at King Regis before she look up at what he’s looking at and a sorrow/remorse look appear on her face when she saw Clarus’s body hanging on the wall).

“ _No! Damn you, General!_ ” thought Zaltana sadly for Clarus then angrily at General Glauca in her mind (while Ravus immediately took the chance of her being distracted to charge and grabbed hold of her again before he slammed and pinned her face-down on the floor with his hand on her head and his leg on her back). “Let go of me, Ravus!” Zaltana snarled at Ravus as she struggle to free herself from his pinning grip to no avail.

“Sorry, Zaltana. But I can’t let you go to help King Regis anymore.” said Ravus as he glance coldly down at Zaltana (who kept on struggling).

XXXX

**Meanwhile, outside the Citadel………**

Both Chancellor Izunia and Emperor Aldercapt (who’s injured shoulder and scraped cheek is covered with bandages and band-aid) stand and watched on the ramp of the airship at another airship hovering above the roof of the Citadel as it carefully took the vault containing the Crystal upward and out of the chamber room.

“Well, I dare say that everything proceed smoothly according to plan. No? But with the exception of your dear daughter sudden betrayal to us.” said Ardyn as he turned to glance at Emperor Aldercapt with a smug look on his face.

“So it has.” said Emperor Aldercapt in an agreeing tone of voice to Ardyn. “We’ve broken the wall and obtain the Crystal. All that remain is to destroy the city. As for the traitor, she’s dead to me, Chancellor.”

“Shall we take our leave then? The sun will set soon. We need not be here to witness the coming terrors of the night.” Ardyn told Emperor Aldercapt before they turned around and walked back into the airship while the ramp of the airship rise and closed itself up.

XXXX

“The crystal!” exclaimed Lunafreya in a shocked tone of voice to Nyx (who continue to drive and flew the airship closer to the Citadel) as she watched the airship carrying the crystal flew toward and into another larger airship before she turned to glance at the Citadel. “You’re going too fast. We have to land.” Lunafreya told Nyx.

“Yeah. You’re gonna have to give me a minute on that, your highness.” said Nyx.

“There’s no time. I’ll jump down and go on my own.” said Lunafreya.

“What? You got wings under that dress of yours? You can’t use magic.” said Nyx as he glance at Lunafreya with a “Are-you-crazy” look on his face.

“Not all miracles are made by magic. I do not fear death.” said Lunafreya as she glance at Nyx. “What I fear is doing nothing and losing the people I cared about and everything else.” Lunafreya added to Nyx before she got up from her seat and immediately jumped through the hole and out of the airship.

“Oh, come on!” said Nyx in an exasperated tone of voice as he got up from his seat, jumped out through the hole before he threw his blade forward, warped and grabbed hold of Lunafreya before they landed on the balcony of the Citadel. “You can thank magic for that, your highness.” said Nyx to Lunafreya before they stood up and went into the Citadel (while several Niflheim airships landed down on different parts of the city of Lucis before the ramps of the airships opened outward to let the magitek troopers out to begin their attacks on the frighten people of Lucis).

XXXX

General Glauca raised and swung his sword down on King Regis, who raised his hand to cast a Protect magic in front of him to block against General Glauca’s attack. “You’ve taken the crystal. What more would you take from me?” King Regis asked General Glauca, who didn’t answer his question as he destroy the Protect magic, causing it to shatter and disappear before General Glauca grabbed hold of King Regis’s left hand, pull him forward then raised and swung his sword to cut off his left hand.

King Regis gasped loudly in pain for the loss of his hand, stagger away from General Glauca (while holding his cut off and bleeding stump close in his right hand) before he stop and fell on one knee on the floor while the ring he wore on his left hand rolled out and away from him and General Glauca toward Zaltana and Ravus, who take and picked it up from floor and look down at it.

“The Ring of the Lucii. I lost my mother, my country, my birthright. Niflheim was the only life left to me. But all that was for this?” said Ravus as he glance up from the ring to glared at King Regis (while General Glauca turned to glance silently at Ravus). “The ring belongs to me now.”

“Ravus, no! Don’t you dare put on that ring!” Zaltana pleaded loudly to Ravus.

“Silence, you traitor!” snarled Ravus as he pressed his leg harder on Zaltana, making her grunt in pain before he placed the ring on his finger (while at the same time General Glauca charge toward Ravus and both Lunafreya and Nyx run into the room). But soon after Ravus wore the ring, fire immediately appeared and spread rapidly around his left arm, making him scream out in pain before he fell and writhed on the floor next to Zaltana (who quickly get up and approach Ravus to pull the ring out of his burning hand before she turned and run toward King Regis away from Ravus and General Glauca while both Lunafreya and Nyx watched the scene unfold with worry/horror looks on their faces).

“Here, your majesty!” said Zaltana as she handed the ring back to King Regis.

“Thank you.” said King Regis gratefully to Zaltana (while they didn’t noticed General Glauca stood up and turned around to glance at them both).

“Look out, you two!” yelled Lunafreya to both King Regis and Zaltana as she run toward them both (while at the same time General Glauca charge toward both King Regis and Zaltana while Nyx threw his blade and warped toward General Glauca, who raised and swung his arm to knocked Nyx away from him before Nyx stood up and let out a yell of anger at General Glauca and he began fighting against him).

As Nyx fought fiercely against General Glauca, both Lunafreya and Zaltana helped in bringing King Regis quickly toward the hidden elevator built behind the wall inside the meeting room and King Regis raised his right hand to used his magic to opened up the elevator door before the 3 of them went into the elevator together (while General Glauca grabbed hold and threw Nyx onto the ground). “Quickly!” said King Regis to Nyx before he raised his hand to cast and launch another fierce Thundaga magic at General Glauca, which struck and electrocute him for the second time and causing him to fall on one knee on the floor.

Nyx quickly got to his feet when he heard King Regis told him to hurry before he threw his blade and warped into the elevator before the elevator doors close and the elevator started to bring all 4 of them down to the basement. After Nyx warped and stand inside the elevator with King Regis, Lunafreya and Zaltana, he began catching his breath while both Lunafreya and Zaltana continue to glance worriedly and sadly at the stump wound of King Regis’s left arm before Lunafreya tear off a part of her dress and began tying it firmly around King Regis’s wound.

“This leads to a hidden passageway. Follow it. Once you’re away from Lucis, make for Altissia. Noctis awaits you there, Luna.” King Regis told Lunafreya as they glance at each other (while Nyx put his blades away behind him and Zaltana glance at them in silence).

“Your majesty-” Lunafreya began saying to King Regis but her words got cut off by Nyx question.

“You knew this was coming-” asked Nyx as he glared at King Regis.

“Yes. But it was the only way to draw their attention away from Noctis.” replied King Regis to Nyx (who glance away from him and fumed by himself).

“Is that the way of our king? Sacrificing Lucian sons to save his own?” asked Nyx for the second time to King Regis.

“It’s to save the world.” said Lunafreya.

“See Luna safely to Altissia.” said King Regis to Nyx. “This is not an order from a king to a glaive. This is a plea from one man to another. Please, Nyx Ulric, keep her safe. For the future of all.”

“The future?” Nyx muttered to himself before he glared at Zaltana. “And what about you then, your highness?” Nyx snapped at Zaltana (who glared at him and just as she was about to say something to him, she, King Regis, Lunafreya and Nyx suddenly felt and heard General Glauca arriving and landing quite heavily on the elevator above them, which make them glance up the elevator’s ceiling with worried looks on their faces).

“Here, Luna, take this. It is time it passes into another’s keeping.” said King Regis as he hold out the ring toward Lunafreya, who nodded sadly to King Regis before she take the ring from him.

A few seconds later, the elevator reached and stopped at the bottom of the Citadel before the doors opened and Nyx walked out of the elevator first into a circular-shaped silver and black marble-coloured and candle-lit room before both Lunafreya and Zaltana helped bring King Regis out of the elevator while they followed behind Nyx.

But as they walked across the room, King Regis suddenly stopped in his tracks, pull his arms away from both Lunafreya and Zaltana (who walked a few steps forward without expecting it before they stopped and turned to glance at King Regis in confusion) before he smiled sadly at them and he raised his right hand to casted a Protect magic wall between him and them.

“No! Please don’t!” pleaded Lunafreya as she try to run to King Regis but the wall he just casted prevented her from getting to him.

“What are you doing, your majesty!?” protested Zaltana as she glance in sadness and disbelief at King Regis for stopping them from helping him.

“Get back, you two!” said Nyx as he grabbed hold of Lunafreya and Zaltana’s arms and pull them both away from the wall.

“Please, don’t leave us!” Lunafreya pleaded again to King Regis.

“I know your mother would wish the same as me. That you and Noctis live happily.” said King Regis to Lunafreya (who shake her head sorrowfully to him). “All those years captive because I failed you. Well, no more. Locked doors will sealed your fate no longer.”

“King Regis………” said Lunafreya sorrowfully to King Regis (who then glance away from her to glance at Zaltana).

“As for you, your highness. I want you to give me your word right here, right now that you’ll meet up and help Noctis, his friends and Luna as much as you can, even at the cost of your own life.” said King Regis firmly to Zaltana.

“Your majesty………” said Zaltana as she continue to glance sadly at him.

“Give me your word!” insisted King Regis.

“Alright, your majesty! I give you my word that I’ll helped Luna, your son and his friends as much as I can, even at the cost of my own life!” said Zaltana as she promised King Regis (who nodded to her before he glance at Nyx).

“Our hope goes with you now, Nyx Ulric. Bring them away from Lucis and godspeed to you.” said King Regis firmly to Nyx, who pursed his lips and nodded to King Regis before he pulled the 2 former princesses even further away from the wall.

King Regis watched them for another few seconds before he turned around to glance at the elevator at the same time General Glauca break through and came out of the elevator, stood on the floor and he raised and placed his arm over his chest and bowed to King Regis (who threw his cane away from him) before he raised his sword and charge toward King Regis, who raised his hand to casts and launch a fierce Thundaga magic at General Glauca, which struck and send him flying backward and crashed hard against the wall before he stood up and walked toward King Regis, who cast and launch another Thundaga magic at him but he block the magic with his sword and kept on walking toward him.

“Behold the King of Lucis, who hoarded tranquillity within his precious wall. Where is your tranquillity now, king?” said General Glauca coldly to King Regis as he walked even closer until he’s in front of him. “Here’s your peace, by steel swift descent!” General Glauca added to King Regis before he roughly grabbed and turned King Regis around then he turned around as well, raised and plunge his sword through King Regis’s chest.

“NO!” screamed Zaltana in horror and remorse as she watched General Glauca killed King Regis in front of her, Lunafreya (who started crying) and Nyx (who pull Lunafreya away and covered her eyes from the cruel scene in front of her).

General Glauca let out a loud roar, plunge his sword deeper through King Regis’s chest (which make him gasped in pain before he coughed blood out of his mouth then the light fade from his eyes) before he pull the sword out, turned and pushed King Regis’s body down to the floor.

When Nyx saw General Glauca killed then pushed King Regis’s body down to the floor, his face immediately contorted with anger and he let go of Lunafreya and pull his kukri blades out from behind him in preparation to fight against General Glauca. But before he could do so, both Lunafreya and Zaltana quickly turned around and restrained him from attacking General Glauca.

“Don’t do it! Glaive!” said Zaltana worriedly to Nyx. “Remember what your king told you!”

“She’s right. We must leave now. It’s what your king would want.” said Lunafreya to Nyx in agreement to Zaltana’s words before the angry look slowly fade from Nyx’s face and they turned around and run out of the room away from General Glauca and King Regis’s body.


	11. Chapter 11

**In the parking lot under the Citadel………**

Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana kept on running down the hallway, turned a corner until they came to a stop inside a large parking lot room, look around and saw a single black car and a dark grey motorcycle parked not far from them and both Nyx and Lunafreya immediately run toward the car while Zaltana run toward the motorcycle.

Both Nyx and Zaltana sigh in relief when they saw that the keys are still inside the car and on the motorcycle before Zaltana get on the motorcycle and Nyx got into the car while Lunafreya briefly glance at one of the large stone statue of one of the ancient Kings of Lucis kneeling in front of her before she got into the car and closed the door. After Lunafreya got into the car, both Nyx and Zaltana then started the car and motorcycle before they begin driving and riding the car and motorcycle out of the parking lot and away from the Citadel.

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“Lady Lunafreya has escaped with the ring and with the traitor princess, Zaltana Aldercapt and the Kingsglaive, Nyx Ulric. Find them at once. They’re not allow to leave the city.” General Glauca ordered to the others through the earpiece on his ear before he left the Citadel in search of them as well.

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As Nyx drove the car out of a tunnel and down the road (with Zaltana riding the motorcycle closely behind them), he then raised his hand to tapped the earpiece on his ear to call for captain Drautos while Lunafreya lean forward a little to see the news program that is currently showing on the small screen TV inside the car.

“ _Footage of the perpetrators was captured by a nearby surveillance camera. Here are the images of the 6 suspects._ ” said the reporter in the news program before pictures of the 6 suspects appear on the TV. “ _One of the suspects has been identified as Galahdian refugee, Libertus Ostium, a former member of the Kingsglaive of Lucis._ ”

“Dammit!” Nyx swored loudly while he briefly raised his right hand to hit the steering wheel in anger at knowing that his friend is now a traitor to Lucis while Lunafreya turned to glance at him with a sad look on her face before she suddenly yell and raised her hands to covered her head in surprise and fear when someone suddenly opened fired and shatter the window of the car next to her from outside (same goes for Zaltana riding the bike behind them but she swerved the bike to avoid the bullets from striking her then she speed up the bike until she’s riding next to Nyx, who also swerved the car a little to dodged the bullets and avoid knocking into Zaltana before he turned to look out the shattered window to see who is it that firing at them and saw with a shock then angry look on his face that it’s some his fellow glaives as they stand on the ramp of a flying airship to their left).

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“This guy just doesn’t know when he’s beat.” said one of the glaive smugly to his fellow glaives standing on the ramp with him as they watched Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana driving and riding their car and motorcycle down the road while dodging the bullets being fired toward them.

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“Keep driving, Glaive while I’ll provide cover fire for you and Luna!” Zaltana told Nyx before she slow down her bike until she’s behind the car, turned to glared at the other glaives standing on the ramp before she pull out, raised and aimed her gun clearly in their direction then she opened fired back at them. She saw that she managed to struck and killed 3 of the glaives point-blank on their foreheads with her gun while the last glaive dodged her incoming bullets before he quickly turned and run past the dead bodies of the glaives and back into the safety of the airship. Once Zaltana saw that the last glaive had run back into the airship, she lowered and put the gun back into her jacket before she speed up her motorcycle until she’s riding next to Nyx again just as a truck approaches them from behind.

"You're making a mess in my city, Glaive." said the same gate guard (who insulted Nyx at the gate a few days ago) loudly as he drive the truck from behind Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana (who look behind at the gate guard with surprise looks on their faces). "I thought I told you not to go playing hero?" added the gate guard jokingly to Nyx (which make him shake his head a little). "Leave the ship to me. You got yourself 2 royal fares to protect and see to." added the gate guard for the second time to Nyx before he opened the window, take and raised and aimed the assault rifle at some of the magitek troopers who came out of the flying airship and he opened fired at them (which caused the magitek troopers to raised their assault rifles to opened fired back at the gate guard, who dodged the bullets before he slow down the truck he’s driving while the airship slow down as well and they fall back away from Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana).

As Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana continue to drive and ride their vehicles down the road, another airship flew swiftly past the first airship and the truck, flew above and past the 3 of them until it came to a stop a few feet above the road, opened it’s ramp door to let 2 semi-large magitek robots walked out of the airship before they jump down from the ramp and landed on the road just as Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana drove and rode their vehicles round the road, saw the 2 robots standing and blocking their way with shocked then annoy looks on their faces before the 2 robots started firing their machine guns at them.

When Nyx saw the 2 magitek robots started firing at them, he swiftly turned and drove the car to the right of the 2 magitek robots, crashed through the railing of the road with Zaltana riding off the road closely behind them as well before the car and the bike that both Nyx and Zaltana drove and ride on landed hard on the roof of another building, causing the car to flip over onto it’s top (while both Nyx and Lunafreya braced themselves inside the car), falls forward and came to a stop at the edge of the building while Zaltana fall out, landed and rolled a little away from the bike (which is ruined now) until she came to a stop near the car, groan and grimace a little in pain from the impact landing before she stood up from the ground then turned to glance worriedly at the upside-down car.

"Move it." Nyx ordered Lunafreya urgently and she quickly get herself out through the broken window of the car just as Zaltana saw her coming out, grabbed hold and quickly pull her out and away from the car before the car fall over the edge of the building with Nyx still inside.

After Zaltana pull Lunafreya out and away from the car and helped her stand up, they then heard the sound of metallic footsteps coming toward them from behind, turned to look and saw that it’s one of the magitek robots. “Come on, let’s go, Luna!” said Zaltana urgently to Lunafreya as she clasped Lunafreya’s hand, bring Lunafreya along with her toward the stairs and they quickly run down the stairs away from the magitek robot as it began shooting at them both (while at the same time, Nyx drove and turned the car sideways on the side of the building until the car crash and came to a short stop against a square-shaped machine hanging outside the building and Nyx quickly took the chance to jump himself out through the opened car window nearby him, crash through the window of the opposite building and landed safely on his hands and knees inside an empty office room before the car fall and landed hard on the alleyway ground between the 2 buildings).

"Maybe not all miracles are made by magic." said Nyx to himself before he stood up from the floor, quickly turned around to run out of the room, up a staircase until he came out of the building onto a balcony, look down at the rooftop of the other building for both Lunafreya and Zaltana and he soon saw them being cornered in between the 2 magitek robots before he raised his head to look up and saw an airship flying down before it aim it’s machine gun at his direction.

"Oh, great." complain Nyx with a slight roll of his eyes before he turned and run down the construction walkway just as the airship started firing it’s machine gun at him, which destroy the construction walkway (and shatter the windows of the building) that Nyx is running on and causing it to break away from the building.

As the construction walkway started falling, Nyx stopped running and quickly grabbed hold of one of the metal bar of the construction as it fall down onto the robot standing in front of both Lunafreya and Zaltana, crash and pinned the robot down before Nyx let go of the metal bar and landed on the rooftop of the building (while both Lunafreya and Zaltana quickly run toward the opened doorway on the rooftop), stood up just as the other robot started firing at Nyx, who turned and run toward the doorway as well, rejoin with both Lunafreya and Zaltana before they make their way into the building and run down the staircase.

"The hell did you do to piss these things off?" Nyx asked Lunafreya.

"It's not me they're after! It's the ring!" replied Lunafreya as they kept on running down the staircase until they run into an empty office room.

"What's so special about this ring? Don't tell me the future's riding on it?" Nyx asked Lunafreya for the second time as they hide and ducked down behind a bookshelf.

"He who wears the ring communes to the Lucii and commands great power." replied Lunafreya.

"What king of power?" Nyx asked Lunafreya for the second time (which make Zaltana let out a sigh).

"Forbidden power, sealed many years ago within the ring." replied Lunafreya and Nyx turned to glance at her.

"The old wall. I thought that was just a bedtime story." said Nyx to Lunafreya before they heard the sound of the airship looking for them from outside the building and both Nyx and Zaltana stood up and glance out the window.

"I can assure you that it’s not a bedtime story. But the Lucii grant their powers only to those they deem worthy." Lunafreya said and explain to Nyx (who glance back at her while Zaltana kept on looking out the window).

"So that guy who try it on back there, I guess he wasn't deemed worthy by them, huh?" said Nyx jokingly to Lunafreya, which make her lowered her head in sadness and make Zaltana sigh and roll her eyes before she turned to glance at Nyx.

“Glaive, that man which you just said isn’t worthy is Ravus Nox Fleuret, former prince of Tenebrae and older brother to Lady Lunafreya.” Zaltana told Nyx (who turned to glance at her in surprise then annoy then he look away from them both).

“Zaltana’s right.” said Lunafreya with a sad nod of her head. "These 12 years have changed Ravus. He is bound by the past, and lost himself in his lust for power." Lunafreya added sadly to Nyx before 2 large, flying yellow-coloured daemon bug monsters flew and crash straight into the office room where Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana were.

"How the hell did they find us?" said Nyx as he glared at the bug monsters while Zaltana turned and stood in front of Lunafreya in a protective stance. The 2 bug monsters screech then flew toward both Nyx and Zaltana, who grabbed hold of them before they threw the bug monsters toward the wall to their right away from them. As the 2 bug monsters get up and were about to flew toward them again, small sparks of electricity started sparking on the back of the bug monsters heads, which make them let out final screeches before they fell dead on the floor. After the 2 bug monsters died, Nyx approach and kneel down near one of the dead bug monster to examined it, saw that it had some kind of metal wiring implanted inside it’s head before a look of realization appear on his face and he immediately turned to glance at Lunafreya.

"Your hair-pin, they're tracking it, give it to me!" Nyx told Lunafreya as he stood up and make his way back to both Zaltana (who walked toward and look out the window again for any sign of airships and flying daemon monsters) and Lunafreya, who take off the hair-pin from her hair and handed it over to Nyx, who take the hair-pin from her before he sat down on the floor next to Lunafreya and he began looking for the tracking device inside the hair-pin. "I had a little sister once. She was killed when the empire came. I couldn't save her. I was as helpless back then as I am now. I couldn't show her the future she wanted to see very much." said Nyx sadly and grimly to Lunafreya (who glance sadly at him while a sad and remorse look appear on Zaltana’s face when she overheard what Nyx just told Lunafreya about his sister) as he found and pull the tracking device out of the hair-pin.

"True power isn’t something that is found by those who seek it. It is something that only comes to those who deserve it." said Lunafreya in a reassuring tone of voice to Nyx (who glance at her then glance away from her). "Your sister wanted you to see a future as well. Anyone would wished the same for the family they love." Lunafreya added to Nyx.

"You don't pull any punches, do you?" said Nyx as he smirked at Lunafreya.

“Incoming swarm of bug daemons!” warned Zaltana suddenly to both Nyx and Lunafreya (who quickly stood up from the floor after they heard her warning them) as she back away from the windows just as the swarm of bug daemons flew and crash through the windows and into the room.

Nyx glared at some of the swarm of bug daemons that managed to break and flew inside the room before he glance down at the hair-pin and the tracking device that he still hold in his hand and he raised and waved his hand that holds the tracking device at the bug daemons. "Hey, I'm over here!" Nyx called out to the swarm of bug daemons before he turned around and run into another room (while the bug daemons flew past both Lunafreya and Zaltana in pursue of Nyx before they turned and ran out of the room together). After Nyx run into the next room, the voice of his captain, Drautos spoke to him from the earpiece in his ear.

“ _Nyx, can you hear me? Repeat, this is Drautos. Can you hear me?_ ” Drautos asked Nyx from the earpiece in his ear (while a magitek robot suddenly jump down from above, landed and placed it’s legs firmly between the outer walls of the 2 buildings in front of Nyx before it raised and pointed it’s machine gun at him).

"Your timing's impeccable, captain." said Nyx to Drautos before he turned and run away from the robot (who began firing through the windows at him), fell and slide himself down past some bookshelf before he stood up and hide behind a pillar. "If the Lucii sealed within the ring are real, they sure don't seem to mind their city getting torn apart by Niflheim machine army." said Nyx to himself and to Drautos before he ran away from the pillar and into the next room (while the magitek robot followed and kept on firing at him).

" _You're to bring the 2 princesses to rendezvous and regroup in the central plaza. Understood?_ " Drautos told and ordered Nyx from the earpiece in his ear.

"That might not be so easy, captain. My wings have been clipped in case you didn't know!" Nyx told Drautos as he hide himself behind another pillar, slowly look out from behind the pillar at the magitek robot standing outside the building as it ceased firing and look around the destroy room for Nyx just as the deamon bugs crash and flew their way through the opened door toward Nyx, who run out and away from the pillar and the daemon bugs toward one of the windows, jumped out and landed on the magitek robot before he quickly make his way up the robot toward the airship (while the daemon bugs flew out through the windows) with the intention to threw the hair-pin into the airship.

But before Nyx could do so, some of the daemon bugs flew toward and past him, which make him lose his grip on the airship, fell down and fell past the magitek robot before he quickly grabbed hold of the robot’s left leg firmly with his left hand while the hair-pin he holds in his right hand fell out from his grasp and landed on the ground in front of Lunafreya and Zaltana (after they run out of the building and glance up at Nyx hanging onto the robot’s leg with worry looks on their faces).

Zaltana bend down to picked the hair-pin up from the ground, glance up and down between the airship floating above her and Lunafreya and the hair-pin she holds in her hand (while the daemon bugs turned and flew toward her and Lunafreya now) before she make up her mind, threw the hair-pin up into the air and into one of the back engine of the airship, which caused the bug daemons that flew toward her and Lunafreya to change direction and the bug daemons immediately flew straight into the engine of the airship, which causes the entire airship to explode with a loud fiery bang and thick black smoke.

After Zaltana threw the hair-pin into the engine of the airship and killed off/destroy both the airship and the bug daemons, Nyx let go of the robot’s leg, fall and landed safely on the ground before he glance up, saw the magitek robot began to fall down as well before he closed his eyes and covered his head with his hands to brace himself as the robot crash onto the ground near him (while both Lunafreya and Zaltana run toward Nyx).

" _Ulric, are you alright?_ " asked Drautos worriedly to Nyx, who groan in pain a little as he hold his injured right leg with his hands just as both Lunafreya and Zaltana reached him and Zaltana got down on one knee near Nyx, take and placed his arm around her shoulder before she helped him stand up from the ground (after she saw Nyx hold his injured leg with his hands).

"I’m not dead, if that's what you mean, sir." replied Nyx to Drautos.

"Head to section D as soon as you and the 2 princesses can. I'll have an evacuation team ready." Drautos told Nyx.

"Don't suppose you can meet us at the gate. I'd kinda like to get the hell out of this city." said Nyx jokingly to Drautos.

"Imperials hold all exits. There's no way through. I'll meet you and the 2 princesses at section D. Cut all radio contact until then, and make sure the 3 of you get there." Drautos said/order to Nyx.

"It's a date, sir." said Nyx jokingly to Drautos for the second time (which make Zaltana rolled her eyes at him) before he, Zaltana and Lunafreya walked away from the destroy robot to head toward the central plaza together.


	12. Chapter 12

**On the rooftop of one of the building inside the central plaza………**

Alfodr stand and look down from one of the edge of the building at Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana as they walked slowly, arrived and came to a stop behind a large pillar inside another building in the central plaza. “ _Now then, princess, the time for you to make a crucial choice is drawing near. I wonder if you’ll be able to overcome it and I’ll be standing up here watching you and also, show me that those trainings that I put you through for the past 12 years back in Niflheim isn’t a complete waste._ ” thought Alfodr in his mind as he kept on watching them in silence, specifically Zaltana.

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**In the central plaza………**

Nyx cautiously look out from behind the pillar of a building at the open area of the central plaza for any sign of Niflheim troops or robots and saw no sign of them anywhere before he turned to glance back at both Lunafreya and Zaltana. “Don’t move and come out until I say it’s safe, alright, your highnesses?” said Nyx to them both.

“We won’t.” said Lunafreya as she nodded to Nyx.

“Just be careful, Glaive.” said Zaltana to Nyx (who nodded to her before he walked out from the pillar, down the steps and across the empty road and stop in the middle of the plaza while both Lunafreya and Zaltana watched him from behind the pillar).

“Ulric reporting! I’ve the princesses! They’re both alive and well!” Nyx called out before the sound of a gunshot suddenly rang out in the plaza and Nyx grunt in pain when he felt a bullet struck his stomach (while both Lunafreya and Zaltana flinch and had worry/horror looks on their faces when they saw Nyx get shot). Nyx glance down and press his hand on the bleeding wound on his stomach before he look up, saw Luche holding a handgun and walking down the steps toward him before Luche aiming and firing his gun at Nyx for the second time, which struck his stomach again before Nyx let out another painful grunt and he fell to his hands and knees on the ground.

“No!” yelled Lunafreya in fear as she run out from behind the pillar.

“Luna, wait!” yelled Zaltana in fear for Lunafreya as she run out from behind the pillar after her as well.

“Get out of here, your highnesses!” Nyx yelled/ordered as he raised his hand at them to tell them to stop and they did.

Zaltana quickly grabbed and pull Lunafreya behind her before she raised her gun at Luche in preparation to kill him but Luche noticed and shoot the gun out of her hand before she could (which make Lunafreya gasped in fear). The gun fell and landed on the ground slightly far from Zaltana’s reach as she glared at Luche (who smirked back at her) as he stopped in front of Nyx and glance down at him.

“You got some fight in you, Nyx. I’ll give you that.” said Luche in a smug tone of voice to Nyx (who kept on grunting in pain before he briefly turned to glance at both Lunafreya and Zaltana worriedly).

“Run, your highnesses! Now!” Nyx yelled/ordered to both Lunafreya and Zaltana as he forced himself to stand up and charge toward Luche to attack him with his other kukri blade in his left hand but Luche kicked him back down to the ground (which make him drop his blade while he let out a yell of pain).

“I can’t believe you still moving with that hollow-point in you.” said Luche coldly to Nyx before he kicked him in his wounded stomach, which make him let out another yell of pain. “All Crowe could do was scream when one tore her insides apart.”

“Stop it! Leave him alone!” Zaltana yell angrily at Luche, who ignored her.

“What? You killed Crowe? Why did you do it!?” demanded Nyx as he glared up at Luche.

“Because the Kingsglaive is nothing! An old man’s battle fodder sent to die in Insomnia’s war while our homes are bound and shackled!” Luche snapped angrily at Nyx.

“Niflheim took your home. Took all our homes! Nothing will ever change that!” Nyx yell at Luche as he briefly glared at Zaltana (who flinch in remorse at his glare).

“You never were too smart. You could’ve had a new future with the Empire.” said Luche as he turned and walked away from Nyx toward both Lunafreya and Zaltana.

“Luna, listen to me. I’m going to make him think that I’ve the ring to lure him away from you and the injured glaive so that you can go and help him out.” Zaltana whisper to Lunafreya when she saw Luche coming toward them both.

“What? But Zaltana-” Lunafreya began to protest to Zaltana.

“Just trust me, Luna. I’ll be fine.” Zaltana whisper back to Lunafreya (which silence her words). “Hey you! You want the ring that bad? Then come and get it from me, you bastard!” Zaltana snapped angrily at Luche before she turned and run away from Lunafreya and Luche (who give chase after her, thinking that she did have the ring) into the building, run up a staircase and down a long balcony pathway until she came to a stop in front of a locked metal door before Luche arrived and make his way toward her.

“There’s nowhere to run, _princess_.” said Luche coldly to Zaltana as he kept on walking toward her until he stops behind her, raised and pointed his gun at the back of her head. “The ring. Give it to me now.” Luche ordered Zaltana, who stay silent before she swiftly turned around, grabbed hold and swung his arm down on her raised left knee to break it hard, which make Luche dropped his gun and yell out in pain before he stagger away from her, hold his broken arm with his left hand while Zaltana bend down to pick up and pointed the gun at him.

“My, how our roles have reversed now.” said Zaltana smugly at Luche (who glared at her for breaking his arm).

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After Zaltana lured Luche away from Nyx and Lunafreya, Lunafreya immediately run toward and kneel down near Nyx and pressed her hands on his stomach wounds to stop the blood from flowing out before they both heard the sound of a car approaching them from behind and when they turned to see who is it, they saw captain Drautos stepping out of the car and staring at them both.

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“You lying, cunning wench. You never had the ring with you at all, is it? The other princess had it and you lured me away from her and Nyx to prevent me from taking it from her, am I right?” Luche asked Zaltana when he now realised that she lie to him about having the ring.

“Yes, you’re right. But that is none of your concern anymore.” replied Zaltana coldly to Luche before she fired the gun twice at him, which struck and pierce his heart and forehead before his body fell backward off the railing and down onto the ground, away from Zaltana (who toss away the gun as she walked down the balcony walkway to get back to Nyx and Lunafreya).

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After Drautos stepped out of the car, he then make his way toward both Nyx and Lunafreya (who didn’t say anything to him), stopped and kneel down to see the wounds on Nyx’s stomach before he stood up to glance up at the balcony walkway where Zaltana and Luche were before he, Nyx and Lunafreya heard the sound of another car approaching them and when they see who is it this time, they saw that it’s Libertus (who glared at Drautos before he slammed his feet on the gas pedal to charge toward Drautos, slammed and drove him away from Nyx and Lunafreya until he crashed Drautos hard against the wall just as Zaltana walked out of the building and had a shocked look on her face at the crashing scene in front of her before she run toward and stopped near Nyx and Lunafreya).

Right after Libertus slammed and crashed Drautos against the wall with the car he’s driving in, the car then suddenly flipped up and over and landed upside-down on higher ground to reveal Drautos, who has change into General Glauca.

“Captain?” said Nyx in a disbelief tone of voice to General Glauca while Libertus slowly crawled his way through the broken window of the ruined car before he turned his head to glance worriedly at Nyx (who’s glaring weakly at General Glauca), Lunafreya (who had a worry look on her face) and Zaltana (who’s also glaring at General Glauca) while General Glauca walked toward them.

“Nyx!” Libertus yelled out to him before he raised his head to look up and saw one of the Niflheim airships flying in the sky over him and carrying the same large daemon that he, Nyx and their fellow glaives saw a few days ago at the border of Lucis.

“It’s over. The daemons are unleashed. Lucis has fallen.” said General Glauca coldly to Nyx, Lunafreya and Zaltana before he stopped in his tracks a few feet in front of them. “Take the ring from Lady Lunafreya and come with me now, your highness.” General Glauca said/order to Zaltana as he hold out his armored left hand at her.

“No, I refused to take the ring from Luna. And I’m not going anywhere with you, murderer.” snapped Zaltana angrily at General Glauca, who pull back his hand and shake his head in disappointment at her decision.

“Zaltana, there’s one way that we can get out of this grim situation.” said Lunafreya to Zaltana, who turned to glance at Lunafreya (same goes for Nyx) and saw that she’s about to put on the ring.

“What? No!” protested Zaltana before she kneel down and swiftly placed her hands on Luna’s to stop her from putting on the ring before Nyx could. “Are you out of your mind, Luna? If you put on the ring, you’ll get yourself burned like your brother, Ravus.” said Zaltana worriedly to Lunafreya.

“It’s the only choice we have now, Zaltana. I don’t see any other way for us.” said Lunafreya.

“No, not you, Luna! I won’t let you!” said Zaltana as she shake her head at Lunafreya.

“Then let me put it on, your highnesses. I’m the hero around here.” said Nyx to them both.

“No, not you either, glaive. You just got yourself shot twice by that other glaive, plus your leg is injured too.” said Zaltana as she shake her head at Nyx as well before she firmly took the ring away from Lunafreya. “Let me put it on instead.”

“What? No!” protested Lunafreya before she try to take the ring away from Zaltana but Zaltana swiftly stood up and walked away from her, Nyx and General Glauca. “Don’t do it, Zaltana! You’ll be burned too if you put it on! What about your promise to King Regis?” Lunafreya pleaded to Zaltana, who smiled sadly at her.

“If I got burned putting it on, then so be it, Luna. Even if it means that I break my promise to his majesty.” said Zaltana calmly to Lunafreya. “At the very least, I’m sure some people out there will be glad and happy to know that one of the former top citizens of Niflheim had die in Lucis later on.” Zaltana added to Lunafreya and before any of them could stop her, she put the ring on her left hand ring finger (just as General Glauca raised his sword and jumped toward her in preparation to strike her down) and the place around her abruptly turned dark.

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**Within the alternate space of the central plaza of Lucis………**

“Please show yourselves to me, ancient Kings of Lucis.” Zaltana called out to the Kings (after she put on the ring and soon saw herself standing in another alternate central plaza of Lucis) before she watched as several large ethereal blue flames knight figures holding different-shaped weapons in their hands appear around her and staring down at her.

“ _You dare to put on the ring of the Lucii and called upon us, you evil princess of Niflheim, enemy of Lucis!?_ ” snarled one of the kings angrily at Zaltana (who flinch from his angry tone of voice to her before she let out a loud yell of pain/agony when she saw and felt flames started to appear and spread rapidly around her left leg).

“Please……… Listen to me……… all of you………” said Zaltana in a pained tone of voice to the Kings of Lucis standing around her. “I know that all of you……… are very angry at me……… for putting on the ring……… but please know that the reason I……… put on the ring……… and called upon you all……… wasn’t for myself……… It was……… to help Luna and the Glaive………”

“ _Lies! That’s what you Niflheim peoples are always good at, telling lies, ruined people’s lives, take away their homes and killed those who get in your way!_ ” snarled another of the kings at Zaltana (who let out another yell of pain/agony when the flames moved and spread around her right leg). “ _Tell us the truth, what is your reason to put on the ring?_ ”

“I told you all already……… I put on the ring……… and called upon you all……… wasn’t for myself………” gasped Zaltana. “It was……… to help Luna and the Glaive.”

“ _Really? Because we find it very hard to believe that you would want to help them both._ ” said yet another king to Zaltana (who kept on gasping in pain from the flames on her legs). “ _We’ll ask you one last time, what is your reason to put on the ring?_ ” the third King of Lucis asked Zaltana the same question for the third time.

“And I told you all again……… it was……… to help Luna and the Glaive.” replied Zaltana for the third time to them. “Please believe me……… Kings of Lucis……… I truly don’t have any……… bad ideas or ulterior motives……… in using the ring for myself………” Zaltana added painfully to them before she fell into silence (while the Kings of Lucis fell into silence and watched/scrutinized her in silent anger before all of them heard the familiar voice of King Regis speaking to them from somewhere in the darkness).

“ _She’s telling the truth, all of you. She may be a Niflheim but she truly is on our side. Please trust her and give her a chance to help._ ” said King Regis’s voice to them before he fell silent.

“ _Very well then, King Regis. We shall trust your words and granted her the magic power of Lucis. But that doesn’t mean that it’s cheap._ ” said the first King of Lucis to King Regis then to Zaltana (who slowly raised her head to look up at them). “ _Whose lives will you offered up to us in exchange for the power that we’ll granted to you soon, girl? The life of the Glaive or the Oracle?_ ” the first king of Lucis asked Zaltana before he show her the 2 figures of Nyx and Lunafreya lying and kneeling on the ground in front of her.

“No……… I’m not offering either of their lives……… to you all………” replied Zaltana. “The live that I would……… offered up to you all……… in exchange for power……… is mine.”

“ _What a noble answer you just gave us, girl. Perhaps you’re truly different from those other Niflheim people. Very well then, we accepted your answer and shall grant you our power. As for your life, we’ll only take it from you once you’ve fulfill your promise to King Regis._ ” said the second king of Lucis to Zaltana (before she felt the flames and the excruciating pain on her legs disappear then she felt a strong surge of power rushed straight into her body).

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Zaltana raised her hand to casts a strong Protect magic around herself to block against General Glauca’s downward strike on her (which surprises him and make both Nyx and Lunafreya gasped loudly in shock) before she dismiss it and cast a strong Fira magic at General Glauca, which struck him in his chest and sent him flying backward away from her before he landed hard on his back on the ground.

“Woah, this feeling of power coursing inside me feels amazing.” said Zaltana as she glance down at her hands with an awed look on her face before she turned around, approach and kneel down near Nyx, placed her hand on his bullet wounds and she casts Cura to healed his wounds. “There you go, Glaive. Your wounds are now healed up.” said Zaltana as she gave a small smile to Nyx after she’s done healing his wounds.

“……… Thank you, your highness.” said Nyx gratefully to Zaltana.

“I don’t believe it, Zaltana. The ring of the Lucii accepted you and granted their power to you?” asked Lunafreya in a disbelief tone of voice to Zaltana (who nodded to her before all 3 of them slowly stood up from the ground just as Libertus approach and stopped near them).

“You two should take and get Luna safely out of Lucis now. Because she holds the future of the world in her hands, plus she still have an important destiny that she must fulfill for Prince Noctis.” Zaltana ordered to both Nyx and Libertus.

“Of course we will, your highness.” said Nyx as he nodded to Zaltana.

“What about you, Zaltana?” asked Lunafreya worriedly to Zaltana.

“I’m gonna stay here a while to fight General Glauca and helped in avenging your mother, Queen Sylva and King Regis, Luna. After I’m done with him then I’ll catch up to you three.” replied Zaltana.

“But, Zaltana-” Lunafreya began saying/protesting to Zaltana.

“Trust me, Luna, I’ll be fine. Oh, and before I forget, here’s the ring.” said Zaltana to Lunafreya before she take off the ring and handed it over to Lunafreya, who take it from her (while General Glauca slowly stood up from the ground).

“………Good luck, Zaltana. I’ll……… see you later.” said Lunafreya.

“Yeah, I know, Luna. Now hurry up and go already, you three!” said Zaltana slightly urgently to Nyx, Libertus and Lunafreya, who nodded in unison to her before they turned around, walked toward and got into the car that General Glauca just used and Libertus reverse and turned the car around before driving the car away from Zaltana and General Glauca. After Zaltana watched them drove away from the central plaza, she turned to glance coldly at General Glauca, raised her hands to summoned forth twin rapier weapons before both she and General Glauca charge toward each other and began their battle.


	13. Chapter 13

Zaltana swung her twin rapiers relentlessly at General Glauca, who dodged and blocked each of her strikes while he also swung his broadsword relentlessly at her to strike her down (which she dodged and blocked as well) before they stepped back from each other. General Glauca then charge, raised and swung his sword down on Zaltana, who raised her rapiers above her to blocked against his strike before he raised his left leg and kicked her hard on her stomach, sending her flying (and groaning in pain a little) back away from him before she landed, rolled a little on the ground then crash hard against the pillar of a building.

After General Glauca kicked Zaltana away from him, he then turned around and began to give chase after Nyx, Lunafreya and Libertus but before he could do so, Zaltana stood up, warped and appear in front of him before she raised her left hand to cast and launch a strong Fira magic at him, which struck him in his chest and sending him flying and landed on his back on the ground for the second time before he quickly got back up, charge, raised and swung his sword down on Zaltana, who backflip away from his downward strike before they charge and clash their weapons against each other.

“So, the power of the ancient Lucian kings acknowledged you, huh, your highness?” General Glauca asked Zaltana. “That makes you the first Niflheim to be accepted and granted their power by them. But do you know the price for having and wielding such power?”

“Of course I do know what the price is for using a power like this, murderer! I don’t need you to tell and remind me about it!” Zaltana snapped back at General Glauca before she disappear then reappear behind him, cast and launch a strong Thundara magic at him from behind (which electrocute him from top to bottom and make him grunt in pain from it before he turned around to swung and clash his sword against her rapiers).

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**Meanwhile, in another part of the kingdom/city of Lucis………**

The large daemon which the airships of Niflheim brought and dropped into the midst of the kingdom/city of Lucis walked forward in the city a little before it stopped in it’s tracks, opened up it’s shoulders to fired dozens of it’s missiles out toward the city, which struck and destroy some of the apartments, shops and buildings in Lucis (and caused the people of Lucis to run away from the large daemon in panic/fear while Libertus (who’s driving the car through and out of a tunnel), Nyx (who’s sitting next to him) and Lunafreya (who’s sitting behind them) look out through the car windows at the large daemon attacking Lucis with worry looks on their faces).

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As both Zaltana and General Glauca kept on fighting, dodging and blocking against each other sword strikes, some of the missiles of the large daemon came and struck and destroy the central plaza area where both Zaltana and General Glauca were. When Zaltana saw the missiles coming and destroying the place around her and General Glauca, she quickly shoved General Glauca away from her with her rapiers before she turned around, raised and threw one of her rapiers high up into the air, warped after and grabbed hold of it before she threw her rapier swiftly forward at a building, which stabbed deeply into the wall before she warped after and grabbed hold of the handle of the rapier and hanging on the wall of the building now. But soon after she do so, she gasped in surprise when she saw some more of the missiles coming from the large daemon struck and partially destroy the building which she’s hanging on with her rapier before General Glauca came and landed safely inside one of the burning room of the building and walked forward into the room and look around for her.

“What can you hope to do, your highness? One former princess turned traitor against her own Empire? Against the magitek army and daemons?” General Glauca asked Zaltana as he kept on walking forward into the room while looking around for her until he stopped in his tracks as he saw her lying then standing up from the floor to his left. “How will you save Insomnia and it’s people with nobody and no wall to protect you?” added General Glauca to Zaltana.

“True, Insomnia may have fall to Niflheim and it’s magitek army and daemons that came right now but Insomnia isn’t what I wanted to save. What I wanted to save is my friends and later on, the future of the world.” replied Zaltana in a sad and agreeing tone of voice to General Glauca. “ _Plus I made a promise to his majesty that I’ll live on to help Prince Noctis, his friends and Luna as much as I can until my death and I’ll fight and kill you to avenge Queen Sylva and King Regis, for Luna and Prince Noctis’s sakes._ ” added Zaltana in her mind as she and General Glauca glance silently at each other before Zaltana closed her eyes in deep concentration while the large daemon outside making it’s way toward the building where they are.

The next second, several loud roars sounded out from several large stone statues of the ancient Kings of Lucis in different parts of the city before they woke up and break themselves free from the city walls that they were partially encased in before they grabbed and picked up their own weapons and one of the Kings of Lucis raised and threw his sword toward the large daemon, warped and appear in front of it before he began fighting against the daemon (which make it roar out in pain from the attacks).

As one of the Kings of Lucis fought against the large daemon, General Glauca raised his arm to braced himself against the sudden strong gust of wind blowing in his way until the wind slowly subside and died down and when he lowered his arm and look out at the hole of the building, he saw another Kings of Lucis standing outside the building before he raised and swung his sword down to cut and destroy the building in half.

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“ _Now that’s truly a surprise even to me. I never thought that she could actually called forth the strong magic of the Old Wall to combat against the daemons. But now I’ve to keep an even closer eye on her so that the Accursed King won’t get his hands on her._ ” thought Alfodr with a surprise then worry look on his face as he stand and watched the entire battle scene unfold before him on the rooftop of another intact building.

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After the second King of Lucis cut and destroy the building in half and caused General Glauca to jumped backward away from the strike, he then look up at Zaltana, who’s standing unharmed on the other side of the building before she opened her eyes to glance and smirked at General Glauca before she started running, raised and threw one of her rapier toward General Glauca before she warped toward him then raising and swinging her rapiers at him. General Glauca dodged and blocked against her strikes before he grabbed hold and threw her to the other side of the building away from him. As Zaltana got thrown away from General Glauca, he then turned and jumped out of the building, with Zaltana getting up and warped out of the building after him.

Soon after both Zaltana and General Glauca jumped and warped out of the building, Zaltana reached and grabbed hold of General Glauca firmly from behind before she slammed him hard against another building walls and windows, which destroy parts of his armor and make him grunt in pain a little before he grabbed and threw her away from him. General Glauca then flew and landed on the rooftop of another building and run forward a little before he jumped and landed on the shoulder of the Third King of Lucis at the same time Zaltana warped and appear on the King’s shoulder in front of General Glauca, who raised and swung his sword down on Zaltana, who quickly raised her right hand to casts a Protect magic in front of her to block against his strike before she dismiss it and they swung and clash their swords against each other.

Meanwhile, one of the larger airships of Niflheim flying in the night sky started powering up the cannon under it, which is noticed by the Fourth King of Lucis before he raised and threw his trident weapon straight toward the airship (which caused both Zaltana and General Glauca to lose their balance and they fell from his shoulder) at the same time the cannon opened fire toward the Fourth King of Lucis (which Zaltana noticed with a shock look on her face out of the corner of her eyes before she quickly warped herself away from the cannon’s blast range, leaving General Glauca behind to take the brunt of the blast).

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“So this is the might of the magic of the Old Wall. Marvelous, truly marvelous.” said Ardyn as he watched the entire scene from inside the airship before a wide smile appear on his face. “ _To think that the person who’s now casting and wielding the Old Wall against the daemons is none other but the Princess of Niflheim, Zaltana herself. What an intriguing princess, perhaps I should come up with a viable plan to kidnap her while not drawing the attention of her guardian, Alfodr. Or to be more accurate, Odin, the legendary knight._ ” thought Ardyn to himself in his mind.


	14. Chapter 14

Zaltana fell from the sky before she landed hard on her back on the shoulder of one of the statues of the Kings of Lucis (which make her groan and grimace in pain after she landed on the shoulder of the king) and as she started to slide off the shoulder, she quickly raised and stabbed her twin rapiers deep into the king’s shoulder to prevent herself from falling off while the first King of Lucis which she’s hanging on with her rapiers charge forward, crashed himself against a tall building before he raised and threw his sword up and straight towards one of the airships of Niflheim before he warped and landed on the airship (and destroy the airship a little before Zaltana pull out her rapiers, warped away from the king and ran down the airship while back in the city, the second King of Lucis warped and crashed through another tall building before he charge and fight against another large daemon).

Zaltana continue to run forward down the airship before she jumped from the upper deck and down to the lower deck of the airship then resumed running just as General Glauca appear right in front of her. When Zaltana saw General Glauca, she wasted no time in casting and launching a Blizzara magic at him, which struck and send him flying backward away from her and he fell off the airship before Zaltana jumped off the airship as well, threw her rapier and warped down toward him before they swung, clash and block their weapons against each other amongst the destroy remnants of the airship.

The second king of Lucis swung and slash his sword down on the chest of the large daemon (which make it roar out in pain before it stagger back away from him) before he raised his sword in preparation to strike the daemon down. But before he could do so, the cannon below the airship opened fired toward him and it blasted through his left shoulder (which leaves a large hole in his shoulder), causing him to yell out in surprise and pain and he fell to his hands and knees on the ground. After a few seconds, the second king of Lucis stood back up, turned around to glared at the airship with the cannon under it before he raised, threw and warped after his sword toward the airship and he landed on it before he began slashing and tearing the airship apart with his sword and his hands.

“Let me ask you something, General Glauca. Why did you do it?” Zaltana asked General Glauca after they landed safely on their feets above another airship.

“Lucis. Niflheim. It isn’t who we fight for that matters, only what, princess. We fight for our homes. That is where our allegiance lies.” replied General Glauca coldly to her.

“That’s your reason for joining the Niflheim army, betray and killed King Regis while my kingdom’s airships brought forth the magitek troopers, robots and daemons to destroy Insomnia? If that is so then I really feel sorry for you.” said Zaltana in a pitiful tone of voice to General Glauca before she dismiss her twin rapier weapons, summoned forth a menacing-looking death scythe weapon and hold the weapon firmly in her hands.

At the same time, several more large airships came flying and bringing more of the large daemons in the air under them before they started releasing and dropping the daemons down into the city to destroy it even further, which is noticed by the only Queen of Lucis statue (who’s just destroy one of the airship she’s standing on) before she raised, threw and warped after her sword and landed on the airship then she pull her sword out, jumped down from the airship and she landed on the large daemon and began attacking it fiercely with her sword (which make it roar out in anger and pain at her attacks on it before it opened it’s shoulders and fired a dozen missiles at her, which struck and make her fall away from the large daemon (who also fell from the airship as well before the daemon crashed onto another airship flying below the other airships and causing it to fly a bit lower while in the city, the fifth king of Lucis, suddenly turned around and saw the airship flew even more lower into the city (due to the daemon hanging onto it) and he raised, threw and warped after his sword toward the daemon that crash and hang onto the airship before he raised and plunge his sword deep into the glowing red centre core of the daemon and killed it off. After he killed off the daemon, he then quickly pull his sword out and warped away from the dead daemon (and landed on the airship where both Zaltana and General Glauca were) just as it’s body started to glow a little brightly and blown apart).

Zaltana look up at the statue of the fifth king of Lucis before she warped herself toward him and stand on his shoulder while General Glauca jumped and landed on the daemon’s shoulder as well. He then glance at Zaltana, saw her staring at the core of the daemon and when she warped away from the fifth king of Lucis with her scythe raised above her toward the core, General Glauca jumped toward her with his sword raised above him and their weapons clashed hard against each other (just as the fifth king of Lucis punch deep at the daemon’s face) before they landed on the shoulder of the daemon as it fall and crash onto another airship below it.

The daemon let out a loud roar as it turned around and started to climbed it’s way up the airship while both Zaltana and General Glauca fought fiercely against each other on the daemon’s shoulder before they and the daemon heard another loud roar coming from above them, look up and saw the fifth king of Lucis jumped down from the airship and crash himself against the daemon, causing all of them and the airship to fall rapidly down from the sky.

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“Goddamn.” Nyx swored as he, Libertus and Lunafreya look out through the window of the car at the battle in the city.

“That’s not something we or anyone else see happening everyday.” said Libertus to Nyx (who nodded to him) and Lunafreya.

“Zaltana………” said Lunafreya as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in front of her, feeling worry for Zaltana.

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Both Zaltana and General Glauca quickly warped and jumped away from the daemon, the fifth king of Lucis and the falling, burning airship as it crashed itself into some of the tall buildings while the fifth king of Lucis fall and landed hard on his back on the ground and didn’t get up (while the daemon standing nearby let out a roar of triumph).

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“Oh, such a pitiable waste. All those beautiful city buildings and streets, all laid to unsightly ruins by the daemons.” said Ardyn in a feigned sad tone of voice as he and Emperor Aldercapt watched the entire battle scene from within the airship.

“I’ll return to Niflheim.” said Emperor Aldercapt to Ardyn.

“So soon, your majesty?” asked Ardyn as he glance at Emperor Aldercapt.

“The crystal is ours now. Finish this and see the daemons disposed of.” Emperor Aldercapt told/ordered Ardyn.

“As you command.” said Ardyn as he bowed to Emperor Aldercapt before he turned around and walked away. “Such a pitiable waste, though.” Ardyn muttered to himself.

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General Glauca groaned quite loudly in pain as he slowly pull himself up onto his hands and knees on the smoking, fiery ground (while his entire armored body and helmet is partially destroy and covered in flames due to him, Zaltana, the fifth king of Lucis and the daemon falling down from the sky with the airship) before he look up and saw Zaltana warping toward him and she raised and swung her scythe down on him, which make him let out another groan of pain as he flew backward away from her strike and landed hard on his back on the ground.

“That strike was for Queen Sylva.” said Zaltana coldly to General Glauca as she make her way toward him. “How could you serve the Empire that I just left and wanted no part in any longer? After all the cruel, tyrannical and heinous things they did to other kingdoms, their monarchs and their peoples!?” Zaltana asked General Glauca (who slowly sat up then stood up from the ground while part of his helmet is destroy to reveal part of his face and there’s a long bleeding slash wound on his chest due to Zaltana’s previous strike).

“I do not fault them for taking what was given, princess. I fault the man who gave it to them. The cowardly man who cowered behind his wall and abandoned us to save his throne and his only son!” General Glauca snapped coldly back to Zaltana (who sighed and shake her head at him). “Go after Lady Lunafreya, princess! Take the ring from her and come with me back to Niflheim! Once we hand over the ring to your father, the homes that Niflheim took from us will be return to us! The Empire has promised it!” said General Glauca to Zaltana.

“The homes that Niflheim took from us will be return to us? The Empire has promised it?” Zaltana repeated some of his words as she glance pitifully at General Glauca before she raised her left arm to gestured out at the smoking fiery destruction around them. “Take a long and thorough look around you, you pitiful, deluded man! This entire destruction of the Insomnia kingdom around us is the future that Niflheim has promised to you!” Zaltana snapped at General Glauca.

“So what if it is, princess? Why don’t you stop being a bigger fool and traitor of yourself and return to Niflheim to served them once again?” asked General Glauca.

“I refused.” replied Zaltana.

“You’re truly a foolish and traitorous princess indeed.” said General Glauca in a disappointed tone of voice to Zaltana.

Zaltana smirked at General Glauca before she raised her scythe and warped toward General Glauca, who unfortunately expected it before he raised and swung his sword to strike against her scythe and knock her away from him. Zaltana landed and rolled a little behind General Glauca before she warped above him, cast and launch a Fira magic down on him, which struck him right on his chest, make him let out another groan of pain while thick smoke appear and covered him from top to bottom for a short while as Zaltana landed on her hands and knees on the ground (and began to panted in exhaustion).

Soon after the thick smoke dissipated away from General Glauca, he charge straight toward Zaltana, raised and swung his sword to strike down and causing a huge bleeding slash wound to appear on her back, which make her yell out in pain and agony from his strike before he viciously grabbed a fistful of her hair and threw her away from him.

After General Glauca grabbed and threw Zaltana away from him, she groan in pain and exhaustion and try to use her scythe to help her stand up from the ground but to no avail and she found herself falling back onto the ground (while General Glauca glance coldly and silently down at her before he turned around and jumped away from her in search and pursuit of Lunafreya, Nyx and Libertus).

“ _Oh no……… you don’t! I won’t let you……… get to them and the ring!_ ” thought Zaltana angrily at General Glauca in her mind as she raised and placed her right hand at the wound on her back to cast Cura on it to healed it up until she don’t feel any pain from it. After she’s done in healing her back wound, she picked up her scythe and stood up from the ground before she warped after General Glauca.


	15. Chapter 15

The large daemon swung it’s left arm to crash and destroy some nearby buildings, causing partially large pieces of the buildings and windows to flew out, crash and landed with loud thud sounds on the road where Libertus, Nyx and Lunafreya were. Libertus immediately swerved the car left and right to avoid the car and themselves getting hit on by the pieces of buildings and windows.

“Hang on! This could get bumpy!” said Libertus jokingly to Nyx and Lunafreya.

“You think, Libertus?” said Nyx as he rolled his eyes at Libertus’s lame joke, which make Libertus chuckle at Nyx.

The next second, General Glauca appear, jumped down and landed and stood up on the road in front of them before the car collided hard against him and pushing him forward down the road with it (which make General Glauca gritted his teeth in annoyance and anger at Libertus as he try to use his legs to forced the car to stop to no avail).

“Drautos!” growled Libertus as he glared at General Glauca while he kept pushing his feet down on the gas pedal.

“If he is here then that means Zaltana is……… No, she can’t be! Not her too!” said Lunafreya as a worry/sorrow look appear on her face.

“Hey, your highness! Don’t succumb yourself to sorrow yet! She could still be alive and is on her way over here now!” said Nyx in a reassuring tone of voice to Lunafreya (who glance and slowly nodded to him).

As Libertus kept on driving while forcing and pushing General Glauca down the road with them, General Glauca then jumped himself away from the front of the car toward the side of the car, smashed his left arm through the window deep into the backseat of the car where Lunafreya is and reached for her but she quickly dodge and move away from his hand.

When both Libertus and Nyx saw that General Glauca leave and smashed his arm through the window to attempt to grab hold of Lunafreya, Libertus immediately unbuckled his seat belt before he glance at Nyx. “Hey, take the wheel, Nyx!” Libertus told Nyx (who nodded to him) before he open the car door and climb on top of the car, crawl his way toward General Glauca (who raised his head to glared at him) pull out and plunge his dagger deep into General Glauca’s right shoulder.

General Glauca groan in pain when Libertus plunge his dagger deep into his shoulder before he raised and grabbed hold of Libertus’s face with his hand in preparation to threw him off the car.

“Floor it, Nyx!” said Libertus loudly to Nyx, who nodded to Libertus before he pressed his feet down on the pedal to drive forward slightly faster while also driving the car closer to the wall to slammed General Glauca against it (which caused sparks to fly out from behind him before they saw the sixth king of Lucis suddenly arrived and landed on the road in front of them).

“Libertus!” yell Lunafreya worriedly to Libertus.

“He’ll be fine, your highness!” said Nyx in a reassuring tone of voice to Lunafreya for the second time as he kept on driving the car down the road before he, Lunafreya and Libertus saw the sixth king of Lucis raised and swung his sword down toward General Glauca (which struck and send him flying and rolling on the road away from them and the car while Libertus grabbed and braced himself at the top of the car to avoid falling off the car).

After the sixth king of Lucis attack General Glauca and make him let go of the car, Nyx continue to drive the car down the road away from General Glauca until he saw the road in front of him, Lunafreya and Libertus is destroyed. Nyx then pressed his foot down on the gas pedal to speed up the car, making the car jumped over from one side of the road toward the other, landed and swerved on the road for a while then came to a stop on the road (which make Libertus lose his grip on the top of the car before he fell and landed on the road near the left side of the car then he slowly stood up from the road, approach and opened the car door to glance at both Nyx and Lunafreya).

“That was reckless of you, driving like that, Nyx.” said Libertus as he scowled at Nyx (who smirked at him) before he glance at Lunafreya. “Are you alright?” Libertus asked Lunafreya.

“Yeah, we’re both fine.” replied Lunafreya as she nodded to him before Nyx moved back to his seat to let Libertus get in and drive the car again.

As Libertus get into the car, Lunafreya moved closer to glance out the window and glance up at the sixth king of Lucis and saw Zaltana standing on his shoulder as she stares at another large daemon coming toward her and the king. “Thank Eos you’re alright, Zaltana.” said Lunafreya in a relief tone of voice before Libertus drove and turned the car around and resumed driving down the road away from the next battle.

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Zaltana panted in exhaustion as she stands on the shoulder of the sixth king of Lucis and glares at General Glauca (who stands on the shoulder of the daemon) before she turned to glance at the distant night sky that’s slowly turned to morning.

“What of the power that the Lucian kings has granted to you, princess? They’ve placed a burden on you that will follow you till death.” said General Glauca as he glance at Zaltana (who glance back at him). “I’ll tell you one thing, princess. What you’re doing right now doesn’t win wars.” General Glauca added to her.

“Really?” said Zaltana as she smirked at General Glauca.

The next second, the sixth king of Lucis warped toward the daemon, raised and swung his sword down on the daemon to attack it but his sword broke to pieces upon contact on the daemon’s body. When the sixth king of Lucis saw that his sword had broke into pieces, he dropped his sword, clench his right hand into a fist and he punch the daemon hard in it’s face before they fought fiercely against each other (while Zaltana warped away from the king toward General Glauca and they fought fiercely against each other on the daemon’s shoulder as well before they lose their balance and fell down from the daemon’s shoulder and disappear into the thick cloud of ash and smoke below).

XXXX

As the sun slowly rise and shone it’s light down on the ruined city of Lucis, General Glauca slowly stood up from the ground with the help of his sword (while groaning and panting in exhaustion and pain) before he look around the place for Zaltana and saw her slowly sitting up from the ground a few feet away in front of him before she winced in pain as she glance down at the glass sticking out of her thigh. She then take and pull the glass out of her thigh (which make her gasp in pain) before she placed her hand on her thigh wound to healed it then use her scythe to help her stand up from the ground.

“For the honour of my home, I fought and killed under a king I loathed.” said General Glauca as he slowly make his way toward Zaltana (who panted and groaned in exhaustion and pain as well and trying to not fall to the ground). “And still he betrayed me. He betrayed us all.” added General Glauca as he stopped walking.

“No, you’re wrong. He didn’t betrayed you or the others. It’s you and the others that betrayed him first. You look too long and too deep into the past and that’s why you blinded yourself to a possible future of light.” said Zaltana to General Glauca before she warped toward him, raised and swung her scythe down on him to strike him down but he expected it, raised and swung his sword to knock the scythe away from her hands before he grabbed hold of her neck and lifted her up from the ground (while the king and the daemon kept on fighting not far from them).

“How predictable, princess. Do you honestly think that I didn’t see that coming? Unlike you, I learned from history.” said General Glauca coldly to Zaltana (who glared down at him as she gripped his arm with her hands).

“Really? Because it looks to me that you’ve enslaved yourself to the past.” said Zaltana.

“A man’s pride is his past, princess!” snapped General Glauca as he tighten his grip on her neck.

“No, you’re wrong! A man’s pride is in shaping the future and making sure that it’s peace and harmony is eternal!” Zaltana snapped back at him before she warped herself away from his grip, reappear behind him and summoned forth her scythe just as he turned around and saw her raising and plunging the scythe deeply through his chest (which make him groan and cough blood out of his mouth while the king plunge his hand into the daemon’s chest and ripped out it’s core, which make it roar out in pain and agony before it fell dead to the ground).

XXXX

“We’re almost there.” said Lunafreya to both Nyx and Libertus after she look out the window and saw the exit sign coming closer.

“Almost.” said Libertus as he and Nyx nodded to her as he drove past the exit sign toward the exit.

XXXX

“This strike is for King Regis.” said Zaltana to General Glauca before she pull the scythe out of his body and watched as he fell on his back on the ground before she dismiss her scythe, stagger back and sat down on the ground. “King Regis did what he think is right and because of him, there is still hope for the homes of yours and the others that’s still in Niflheim’s grasp.” Zaltana added to General Glauca.

“Hope, huh?.........” said General Glauca before he closed his eyes and breath out his final breath (while Zaltana stared at his body for another few seconds before she turned to glance at the sun).

“ _I did it, Queen Sylva, King Regis. I’ve managed to avenged your deaths and killed the one who killed you both. May you two rest in peace now._ ” thought Zaltana to herself before she fell face-down and passed out on the ground.

XXXX

Ardyn smirked as he slowly make his way past the dead body of General Glauca toward the unconscious Zaltana but before he could get closer, a spear suddenly appear and stabbed the ground a few feet in front of him, stopping and preventing him from getting closer before Alfodr appear and stand in front of Zaltana and glared at Ardyn.

“Well, hello how nice to see you again, Alfodr.” said Ardyn as he bowed to Alfodr. “Ever the protective knight to the princess, huh?”

“ _Stay away from her, accursed king. She is not yours to take!_ ” snapped Alfodr to Ardyn (who raised his hands in mock surrender).

“Tsk, tsk. How scary of you. You should learn to control that temper of yours.” said Ardyn jokingly to Alfodr before he glance past Alfodr and glance down at Zaltana. “The battle show she put on in this city and kingdom of Insomnia was quite the marvellous show, don’t you think so, Alfodr? What an amazing feat for a former princess indeed!”

“ _Enough with your smooth and poisonous talk, accursed king. Leave now or suffer my wrath!_ ” said Alfodr in a warning tone of voice to Ardyn.

“Fine, I’ll leave. But remember this, you can’t always watch and protect her all the time and when you look away from her, that is when I’ll take her from you.” Ardyn told Alfodr before he turned around and warped away from him.

Alfodr continue to glared at the spot where Ardyn just stood on before the glaring look fade from his face and he turned around to glance down at Zaltana before he bend down to lifted and carry Zaltana up in a bridal-style manner in his arms before both he and Zaltana vanished.

XXXX

Lunafreya, Nyx and Libertus were waiting outside the car near the west gate as they look down the road at the ruined and smoke-filled city and kingdom of Insomnia while also waiting for Zaltana to show up.

“Come on, you two, we should move now. It ain’t safe here either.” said Libertus to both Nyx and Lunafreya.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, Libertus.” said Nyx as he glance and nodded to Libertus before he glance at Lunafreya. “Come, your highness. It’s time for us to go now.” Nyx told Lunafreya (who briefly glance down at the ring she holds in her hands before she glance up and gasped in surprise then relief at seeing Alfodr suddenly appeared in front of her, Nyx and Libertus while holding Zaltana in his arms).

“Who the hell are you now!?” demanded Nyx as he glared at Alfodr before he glance down at Zaltana. “And what did you do to her?”

“Calm yourself, glaive. My name is Alfodr and I haven’t done anything to her. I merely came and bring her back to you, your other glaive friend and the Oracle.” said Alfodr in a calm and normal tone of voice to Nyx before he glance at Lunafreya. “ _Oracle, the princess has stay true to her promise in avenging your mother and king Regis. She has done well in getting rid of General Glauca and the daemons with the power of magic that the ancient Lucian kings has granted to her._ ” Alfodr added to her.

“She really did?” Lunafreya asked Alfodr (who nodded to her) before she glance down at Zaltana, clasped and raised Zaltana’s left hand in both of hers. “Thank you, Zaltana.” said Lunafreya gratefully to Zaltana before she let go of her hand (while Nyx glance slightly gratefully down at her as well).

“ _Not bad for a former Niff princess, your highness. You’ve did quite well._ ” thought Nyx in his mind at Zaltana.

“Here you go, glaive. I leave her in your care now. Please watch over and protect her from now on.” Alfodr told Nyx as he placed Zaltana’s unconscious form in Nyx’s arms before he could protest or say anything to him.

“What? Why?” said Nyx in a surprise tone of voice to Alfodr (who didn’t say anything to him before he vanished from his sight). “Great, he disappear before he could tell me the reason on why he leave the princess with me.” muttered Nyx to himself as he scowled at Zaltana.

Right after Alfodr came and leave Zaltana with Lunafreya, Nyx and Libertus and vanished off, both Lunafreya and Nyx spoke briefly to Libertus before they bade farewell to him, turned around and began to walked down the road amongst the surviving citizens turned refugees of Insomnia toward and through the west gate, walked out of Insomnia and out into the world.


End file.
